


Mad

by KaylaMoon



Series: Mad [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Badass, Evil, F/M, Love, Madness, Rage, Romance, Secrets, Vampire Sex, Vampires, mad - Freeform, mad love, mature - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:00:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 30
Words: 62,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21779470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaylaMoon/pseuds/KaylaMoon
Summary: Katrina Dobra is a sensitive girl in an evil world where everyone takes advantage of her, until she goes to a party in Las Vegas and meets the noble Mikael Blake, an intimidating yet attractive man with hypnotic grey eyes that offers her an irresistible new life with him. Katrina feels in heaven, until she finds out that her boyfriend is the devil. Her initial fear and rebellion against him are useless, because Mikael is the King of Vampires and his pleasure is the pain of his new slave, Katrina, that loves him so much for the powerful emotions he makes her feel that wants to learn to bear his tortures, hoping that one day he will free his good part just for her.Author's note: no, the vampire won't become the cute puppy of the main character.
Relationships: Katrina Dobra/Mikael Blake
Series: Mad [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1569601
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	1. Welcome/Warning!

**Warning!**

This story contains mature contents such as violence and torture, sexual themes, explicit language, abuse and more. This romance will make you fall in love, but also terrorize and horrify you. I suggest it to strong souls that like dark themes.

**Welcome!**

Are you ready for this suicide adventure? I am.  
You'll read about an adorable couple doing normal things such as kissing, making love, killing people together and torturing each other... you know, that sweet stuff that couples do!  
You'll have a lot of fun with the characters. You meet Katrina on the surface and then... whoop! Mikael takes you down in his hell so fast that your nails start bleeding while you try to hold something to save yourself on the hard, cold concrete floor that lacerates your skin with his unperfect structure. Don't worry, I'm pretty sure you'll survive to this book, it's not so sad... it will just pierce your heart like a wood stake more and more.  
I wish you to find your evil King soon!

Kayla Moon

 _"Your pain is my pleasure"_ \- Mikael Blake

P.S. I post twice per week on Mondays and Fridays.


	2. Chapter 1

I hear my phone ringing. I raise my head from the math book - I think I dribbled over it - and I answer the telephone.  
«You won't believe it!» My eyes open when the shrill voice of my bestie bursts my eardrums.  
«Found a new potential boyfriend?» I ask in a mumble.  
«I don't find boyfriends, disposable toy-boys finds me.» She snaps. As usual, her voice becomes joyful again in an instant. «Anyway, I have two tickets for a private masquerade party in Las Vegas.» She let out a piercing scream.  
«Good, enjoy it.» I raise my phone to check the time and the numbers 7:45 get closer as it falls on my face. My life never really gives me anything to be thankful for, she pranks me and laughs at me all day. Sometimes I laugh with her, sometimes I cry.  
I hear Gabi's voice on my nose. «Girl, I said I have two tickets, you should come with me!»  
«I can't. Tomorrow there's school and I have the night shift at the bar.»  
«Come on, it's the best opportunity to meet a rich man and change your life!»  
I sigh wearily, thinking about the real problem.  
«Don't tell me you're afraid to inform your parents of it, you're twenty!» She literally yells in my face.  
I stretch and stand up. «I still live in their home.»  
«You're not dependent on them anymore.»  
«Gabi, you know they will always have power over me. They are overprotective and I'm extremely sensitive. I don't wanna face them, they make me feel safe and it's one of the few positive things in my life.» I look at myself in the mirror; my long, brown hair is messed up and there are bags under my light blue eyes. I look like a tramp! I really need a day off and I can't spend it in Las Vegas.  
«Listen, think about it. I leave tonight, I'll wait you at my home around three o'clock, I hope to see you soon.»  
I hang up the phone and I walk into the dining room. Mom is cooking, dad is watching tv and Nora is pissing around at the phone. I still ask myself how can we be so different: Nora has a black pageboy, black and little eyes and a bad temper. In common we have only the heart-shaped face and a bit of a belly.  
As soon as she sees me, she starts provoking me. «What are you looking at, idiot?»  
«Nora, for God's sake, stop annoying your sister.» Mom yells at her without taking her eyes off the meal.  
Obviously, Nora keeps going with her show. «Were you lookin' at my big boobs? Don't worry, yours will grow up when you'll get through puberty. Oh wait, you're still an adult, sometimes it's hard to remember it since you never had a boyfriend.»  
«Nora!» Dad finally stops her.  
I sit at the table, thinking about her face if I tell her that tomorrow I'll go to Las Vegas. It would be epic. _Maybe I can fool her_. I walk to the kitchen, my lips spread in a sly smile.  
«Mom, would you do me a favor?» I ask, smelling the tomato sauce she's cooking.  
«Sure honey.»  
«I wanna prank Nora. I'll say that tomorrow I'm going to Las Vegas and you'll agree.»  
She laughs. «As you wish.»  
I walk away, but my consciousness stops me. _Nora won't believe you, she's not that stupid. But if the prank becomes real..._ «Mom, what would you do if tomorrow I really go to Las Vegas?»  
«I would be happy for you.» She seems so calm that I believe her. She takes a bit sauce with a spoon to taste it.  
«Good, cause I will.» I announce, arms up and a big smile.  
She spits the sauce. «What are you talking about?!» She gasps.  
Her initial peacefulness fooled me, but I'm always prepared to calm her down. «I can explain.»  
«What? That you were ready to leave Flint without a word for days?»  
«What's happening here?» Dad booms, coming in the kitchen.  
I try to handle the situation. «Gabriela has two tickets for a masquerade party in Las Vegas, an elegant and innocent party, and...»  
«Las Vegas?» Dad repeats with confusion.  
«Party?» Mom follows him in panic.  
«I bet you won't go anywhere.» Nora smiles at the kitchen door, chewing a gum. I glare at her and she chuckles.  
Mom shakes her head. «I always knew that Manuela...»  
«Gabriela.» I correct her.  
«Whatever, she's not a good friend for you. I should have separated you since you meet her in elementary school.»  
I feel the anger growing in me like fire. «No! Don't dare to badmouth her. She's my best friend, when you were away she always protected me from bullies, they were making fun of me because of my overprotective mom and she chose to defend me and be my friend instead of doing the right thing, insulting the person who ruined my life.»  
Mom covers her mouth, her eyes clouded with tears. I love her, but right now I can only think that my stupid life would have been so much better without her, or with someone else. Dad and Nora look at her, waiting.  
She takes a long sigh. What is she going to say? Nothing that I will like, all the sadness on her face disappears as her eyes meet mines. «One day you'll understand me. All I have done is for your own good. I made you study instead of going out with your friends because have a job is more important than have fun.»  
I don't understand her as she doesn't understand me. «I know that work is important, but have fun is necessary too. You separated me from the whole world and... it hurts. I feel alone. Gabriela is my only friend and...» I try to hold the tears, nervously gesticulating to explain how I feel.  
«No, not anymore. You'll never see Gabriela again.» Mom states in a monotone voice. I ask myself if she doesn't understand me or she just doesn't care about my feelings, looking at her with my mouth wide open. «Now go to your room. Charles, lock the door, tonight she won't dine with us.»  
Her words fly in my head as I try to understand which is arousing my anger more. «Are you kidding me?!» I cry out.  
«Haven't you heard your mother? Go to your room, Katrina!» My father tries to talk louder than me, this is his way to scare me, like a bear. Someway it works.  
I run to my bedroom, crying. Anger, sadness and a sense of powerlessness storms in me. As I lay on my bed I hear the sound of the lock, then an annoying silence. They are happy and I'm not and they will keep punishing me until I will think like them. It sounds wrong... and scary. I love my parents, we never fight, but we don't just because I put their happiness over mine... isn't it the purpose of a parent?  
I want my happiness and they want it too, I'm sure of it, they love me, but I will never be happy if I just study, work and sometimes rest in this golden cage that they created for me.  
I remember Gabi's words: _Come on, it's the best opportunity to meet a rich man and change your life!_ If she's right, I can make everyone happy in a night. I just need to go to Las Vegas and find a rich man to love, so I would have a partner and freedom and mom would know that I would have enough money to survive without even work for the rest of my life. Easy, isn't it? No. I never had a boyfriend, how do I flirt? Kiss? Give him pleasure? I can't even think about making love without blushing. I'm not even sexy, my body is half flat and half fat. But I'm also determined and I love myself, I can make it... and the best I can do is find a boyfriend that my mother won't like, cause she doesn't like anyone out of her family.  
You know what? I don't care. I will find a man, my hero and maybe my parents' villain. This time the ones that should change their minds to be happy will be mom and dad.


	3. Chapter 2

I'm going to engage in a suicide mission and I can't stop smiling, my cheeks hurt while my mouth refuses to relax. I was hungry and sad, I don't know exactly what happened in my heart since I started repeating myself that I will go to a private masquerade party in Las Vegas with my best friend, but I feel happy and that's enough to make me keep taking some stuff from my bedroom and put them in the suitcase. When it's full, I manage to close it and I take a look at my room: it's pink, clean, empty. My mother never let me decorate it and she cleans it everyday, that's probably why it seems uninhabited. It makes me a bit sad looking around and realizing that this room never had a place in my heart, I won't miss my home. I sigh and I write a note to my parents: _Don't worry, I'm 20 and I'll survive in Las Vegas. I'll come back with a surprise! Kisses, Katrina. P.S. Nora, you are my sister, I love you. I hope that the surprise will finally let you see me as an adult. I promise that one day I'll make you proud of me, big sis._ If Gabi was here, she would have torn up this lovely letter saying that my sister is a "bad girl". I laugh at the thought.  
I open the window and the cold wind of the night caresses my skin. I shiver, trying to wrap my pink coat around my body tightly. I sit on the edge on the window, my feet slipping on the frozen roof. I must jump. The silence and the darkness are suggesting me to go back to my room and stop this crazy adventure, so I take my bag, I stand up and I skate on the ice, losing the balance and falling from the second floor on the cement. I groan. Before I can open my eyes, the bag falls on me.  
«You need much more to stop me.» I whisper to the world, chuckling.

Sometimes movies give you great ideas. I look at the little house of my bestie. I can't stop thinking of my life compared to her: I want my house too, but in the bar I work the tips are more generous than the salary. I look at the window of Gabi's room, the light is off. I need to wake her and, as movies taught me, there's only one way to wake up your friend for an adventure in the middle of the night. I run to the door, I take a big stone down there and I walk back to aim at her window. I throw the stone and... yea, I have a good shot. I broke the window, the piercing sound of the glass breaking echoes in the street. _Well, I made a mess, but I achieved the target._ Gabi appears at the window with an angry face. I wave to her with an ashamed expression. She disappears in the room and I get close to the door. She opens it and I smile.  
«Why did you throw it at the window?» She asks, now bored, looking at me like I'm an idiot with the rock in a hand.  
«I decided to come with you.»  
«Why didn't you open the door and came to my room?»  
«With which key?»  
She turns the rock and opens it. There's a key inside. «This key, genius.»  
I stay silent, the only words that could come out of my mouth now are insults towards me. I swing backward and forwards on the heels with a childish smile, waiting.  
Gabi sighs. «Come in.»  
I let out a little scream of joy.

The uniform of the hostess is the most elegant clothes I could imagine on my weird body. I can't stop watching the beautiful, poor woman that is attending us and admire her.  
«I know what you're thinking.» Gabi gives me a bored eye.  
I know she knows. «You don't.»  
« _My body is weird!_ » She mocks me. «Give me a pizza for my friend, please.» She orders to the poor hostess. If she keeps going like this, soon the airplane kitchen will be empty.  
«I'm not hungry.» I say, trying to ignore the group of old people that watches us like criminals, their anger seems to grow at every Gabi's order.  
«You are, you didn't dine!»  
«Gabi, I'm fat!»  
Gabi looks at me, her mouth wide open. «When did you start worrying about your belly?»  
«When you invited me to a prestigious masquerade party in Las Vegas. With two fake tickets.» I nervously articulate every word of my last sentence.  
«Don't be so nervous, those tickets are perfect copies of the originals... and you're not fat.»  
I point at my ass. «I am.»  
«Girl, you're not _fat_ , you're _thicc_.»  
Before I can protest, the hostess comes back with the pizza and all the other food Gabi ordered.  
«Take a sip of this.» She hands me a cocktail.  
I smell it and cover my nose with my arm immediately after. Gabi drums her fingers on the table, waiting.  
«I hate you.» My confession makes us smile both. I take a sip and as I feel the taste of this disgusting liquid I spit it on a sleeve of my t-shirt.  
Gabi laughs. «Don't do this at the party, unless you don't like who's flirting with you.»  
«Damn, I don't know how to flirt.»  
She lies on the table, moving her hands slowly, one messing her hair and the other caressing her breast. «It's simple, remember that men can't resist our bodies.»  
I try to imitate her and she gives me an embarrassed look. «I suck, right?»  
«Uhm, no. You just need to practice. A lot.» She sits, keeping her shoulders back, and I imitate her. «Take the cocktail, like this.» I wrap my fingers around the cocktail as she does. «Good. Now take a sip and don't move your eyes from mine.» I look at her, moving my head to find the sexiest angle of me. «Don't move that much. Now take a sip of your Mimosa and...» I spill the cocktail on my leggings. I facepalm. «...and you're too clumsy to be sexy.» She ends, giving me a napkin.  
The party will be a disaster. I will be a disaster. Well, this is a rare opportunity, I can't fail. Tomorrow this disaster will change my life, or I'll find someone that will do it for me.

My terrible thoughts are distracting me from the eyes on me and Gabi that is snoring on her seat. It's night, I want to sleep, but the anxiety keeps my eyes wide open. I feel like I'm jumping from a roof of a two-storied home with a parachute: I've not enough time to save myself. I couldn't steal a heart in a single night even if I was the most beautiful girl in the world.  
A voice announces that the plane is going to land soon.  
I shake Gabi. «Wake up, we have arrived.»  
She stretches, looking around. Suddenly she looks shocked.  
I immediately worry. «What's wrong?»  
«Look for yourself!» She points at the window without moving her eyes from it.  
Confused, I look out and for an indefinite time my dreams blend with reality. I'm getting close to a city of colored lights, the night here seems way better than the day. As we get closer, I see the streets full of people. Las Vegas is awake. I wonder where the party will be. When the airplane is landed I'm still watching out, my eyes impatiently waiting for new wonderful things to store in my mind.  
«I definitely won't miss Flint.» I chirp.  
«Flint sucks compared to Vegas. Take your bags, honey, we have to go to Caesar Palace and book our room! We have just some hours to get ready for the party.»  
I take my bags and I switch on the telephone: there are thirteen missing calls from mom and dad. My enthusiasm fades like my smile.  
Gabi obviously notices it. «Ignore them.» She says, stealing my phone.  
I glare at her. «I can't. And you can't stop me, yesterday I already risked ending our friendship because of your stupid idea to come here and...»  
«Shut up, you needed a holiday.» She interjects me.  
«My mother closed me in my room saying we were no longer friends. All for this not necessary holiday.»  
«That motherfucker...»  
«Hey, she's my mom!» I yell.  
«Yea, your motherfucker mother.» She agrees calmly.  
I roll my eyes. «Give me the phone, Gabriela.»  
She pauses, the silence annoys me but I wait.  
«Did you just say that she closed you into your bedroom?» She tries to hold a laugh, I can clearly see her lips trembling.  
I sigh. «Yea. I came out from the window and I jumped off the roof.»  
She bursts out laughing.  
«This isn't funny, I could have broken my bones!» I protest, but a smile gives me away.  
«I'm sorry, I'm imagining your fat ass falling from the roof!»  
We fight with our bags, walking to a famous hotel, not even knowing where it is.

**Are y'all ready for the party?**


	4. Chapter 3

Gabi was wearing a short, black dress, perfect for Vegas. During the walk to Caesar Palace she was a diva among all the perfect girls in the street, I'm sorry that her bestie, _me_ , seemed a clumsy, giant, pink sweet to her side.  
We had no time to explore the city, but all I have seen since now was incredibly awesome to my sensitive eyes. When we arrived in the luxury hotel, we overslept in a room bigger than my home, decorated with blinding jewelry and cream objects that made the atmosphere relaxing with the warm lights and when we woke up we didn't lose time and we ran to buy some expensive dresses, cosmetics, shoes and jewelry; Gabi has a well-payed job and I never spend a lot of money since I always stays at home, waiting for a new bestseller to buy on internet, so luckily today we won't feel poor as we are. Gabi chose everything for me; my mother always chose my clothes so I don't have a good taste for them, but Gabi, she's an expert, or as she says, _I'm a hella bitch!_ Now, considering we have to wear clothes, makeup and go to the party, we are still late... so we will have a bath in our private Jacuzzi.  
«I can't wait to run like a drunk girl on the heels!» I yell at Gabi that is in the kitchen. I put a foot in the hot water and I spontaneusly close my eyes, a shiver of pleasure run through my body.  
«Girl, I can't believe we're here together. This is a dream.» She says, handing me a cocktail before entering the bath with me. I can see the joy in her eyes bright with tears. «Tonight we will conquer the world.»  
«Thanks, but I just need to find someone that makes me happy.»  
«Then what?» Her question confuses me. What am I really searching for? Someone to love, someone that can change my life for the better or just some fun and relax? Maybe everything, maybe I can have these all.  
«We'll see.»  
Gabi smirks, lifting her drink. «Cheers.»  
I give her my natural innocent smile. «Cheers, but I will spit every sip of this drink, whatever it is.»  
She laughs and I hope I will like its taste, so I won't have to drink water at an adult party.

I admire myself at the giant mirror in the bedroom: the heels are matched to the long dark red dress with the slit on a side, the dark red lipstick and the black mascara are magic on my pale white skin and the silver necklace I wear is a classy touch to the outfit.  
«Are you ready for the party, honey?» She wears a short, loose green dress. It won't be hard to find her among the people, I don't think I will see another dress so gaudy tonight.  
«You bet!» I answer with enthusiasm.  
«Good. Take your mask, the party started ten minutes ago, I hope you're a fast runner.»  
I wear my black lace mask, the last piece of the puzzle to make me become the most elegant person I've ever seen. I feel someone else. Or maybe I'm feeling myself for the first time in my life. Yes, my elegant, delicate, warm-hearted nature is finally free. I smile at my reflection.  
Gabi takes my arm, pulling me. I fall on her. «Stop staring at my art, you breathtaking nerd. Let's go!»

«No way!» I worry, my body shaking.  
Gabi shakes her head, her hands on her hips. «Come on, there are just some photographers, maybe a dozen journalists...»  
«No Gabriela, there is a fucking population of people with cameras!»  
«Wow, you swore. The situation is serious.»  
«It is.» I whimper, trying to hold my tears to save the makeup from my anxiety.  
She takes my hands, her eyes search for mines. «Listen: we'll give the tickets to the guard and as soon as he moves the rope barriers we run in the villa, ok?»  
«What if I fall?»  
«Well, nobody will see you, with this dress you can easily become part of the carpet.»  
I chuckle. I hope I won't regret this. I look in the hazel eyes of my blonde bestie and I nod.  
We walk to the robotic guard, holding our heads high. Gabi gives him the tickets and the guard watches these, his face doesn't show any emotion. I gulp, waiting for his next move.  
He looks at us. «Your name, please?»  
A thousand eyes are on us, people are chatting and I hope Gabi has a plan B while my cheeks become warm and my legs weak.  
She takes the tickets. «Haven't you read the passes? We are special guests, our names are not on the list, idiot.» She looks at him from head to toe, moving like a sexy chick. Meanwhile, the journalists heard us and the chats became louder. I sigh, trying to hide the panic.  
«Sorry, ladies, I didn't read it. I immediately take you to the masquerade party.» He turns towards the villa, bending his arms. Gabi put her arm on his and I imitate her, then another guard moves a barrier and, as our heels touch the carpet, the journalists start yelling, crammed together, their flashes dazzling me and their screams hurting my ears and my head. I try to smile them, hoping to not appear on the first page of a journal. As we enter the villa, a pacific silence welcomes us as we walk up the stairs.  
«Excuse me ladies, I need to know your names.» The guard asks politely, this time he seems happy, his robotic part disappeared as we entered the place.  
Gabi talks for both. «Sure. I'm Miss. Rea and she's Miss. Dobra.»  
I glare at her 'cause she gave him our real surnames, but she doesn't even look at me.  
The guard opens a big wooden door and he walks in the enormous room, on a little balcony. I can only see the dark yellow ceiling and the warm lights in the sophisticated chandeliers, I wonder how many people are at the party.  
«Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome our special guests, Miss. Rea and Miss. Dobra.» The guard turns to us, smiling. I hear people applauding in the room.  
I glare at Gabi that winks at me and goes on the balcony. I let out a groan. I would like to scream, asking myself why did I come here and when did I become so crazy, but there's no time. I walk on the little balcony and I look down: a thousand gorgeous people are cheering us. It's full of rich, important men and women... I shouldn't be here. I shake my hand, trying to smile: we are the special guests in a private party and we didn't even get invited; I would like to hope Gabi has an idea to run away before the party organizer find us, but the cruel reality is this: we're fucked up.  
I walk down the stairs and I easily reach the bar, those people seem really good at keeping their living space. I need to get drunk before getting arrested, maybe I'll order a cocktail from the menu. I take a look around and I notice that the colors of the girls' dresses are very bright; _good, I'm the black sheep among the white ones. It won't be hard for the villa owner to find me._ Gabi is still talking with two men in smoking, she doesn't understand how grave the situation is.  
«Hi.»  
I jump, on the stool, turning around to see where this voice comes from.  
Someone clears his throat. «Behind you.»  
I turn and I see a handsome boy, probably he's less than thirty. «Uhm, hi.»  
We look at each other in embarrassing silence. He breaks it after a minute. «You're a special guest, and a beautiful girl, I couldn't ignore you when I saw you alone.»  
My brain fights with my heart as I try to think of a sensible answer. «Thanks.» It's all I can say.  
«I'm Jordan.» He smiles.  
«I'm Katrina.» I try my best to seem enthusiast.  
He gives me his hand, his palm facing up. I take it, I turn it on the side and I shake it. He gives me a side-eye.  
«Ok, uhm... Let me offer you a drink.»  
I nod and he orders two cocktails. I take a sip of mine and I curl my lips, trying not to spit the disgusting liquid. If I don't drink, I surely have to talk.  
«Who's the party organizer? I been invited by a friend we have in common, but I don't know him.» I say, bothered.  
He smiles to me, his teeth are so bright that I could see them in the night. I notice that his canines move; before I can ask myself if I have hallucinations, he talks. «He's just an asshole.» His angry tone leaves me stunned. «He organized this party to honor a deal that he never respected and never will.» I listen to him, drinking the cocktail without even noticing his horrible flavor. Jordan seems always more absorbed in his thoughts, and I am in his words. «He tells us he wants peace in our world as we all do, but he says this just because his enemies are too many to be fought all together. Accepting this stupid agreement means giving him the time to eliminate the rebels one by one and make the others bow down to him. He's a King, he craves power, his empire is getting bigger; it seems everybody's blind, or they just don't care about their freedom and the people they love, otherwise they would have come here to destroy this place.»  
After a long silence, I try to organize my thoughts. «I guess you're talking about an economic war.»  
He seems to come back to the real world, his smile comes back with him. «Yes, exactly.»  
«If you're against this deal, why are you here?»  
«'Cause my group is here too.»  
«It's not wrong to have a different opinion from your friend. Why didn't you oppose to them and stayed at home?»  
He let out a melancholy chuckle. «I don't wanna die.»  
His answer seems so serious that I don't know if it would be opportune to laugh or stay silent.  
«There's anything else you want to know?» He asks.  
_When will this party end?_ «Why don't you tell me about you?»  
«Sure! I'm a...» He starts yakking and my mind drives away.  
I notice that my glass is empty, I drank all the disgusting liquid without even noticing it. Good, but I'm not tipsy yet, not enough to get arrested in Las Vegas for entering a stupid party without invitations. I came here to find a kind of price and I can't really complain about the handsomeness of the men in this place, but I can't meet nor date all the guys here, I'm not like Gabi. I can't even go home alone and drunk. I take a look around and I just see good-looking men, nothing special, nothing attracts my attention. I order another cocktail and when I turn towards the crowd again I see something, someone. Two grey eyes hypnotize me, they seem to glow, but their light is limited by the big black limbal rings. I study their owner: he's high and well built, I would like to run my hand through his short, curled dirty blonde hair and kiss his delicate yet masculine face. He's wearing a long black coat, I think it's called frock and it was used in the victorian era, this is another wonderful detail that makes him stand out from the crowd. I watch the elegant woman he's talking with, she's the only one I've seen with a modest black dress and two long white gloves of lace. _She's definitely more beautiful than you, Katrina._ I roll my eyes and when I look at him again, his intense gaze is on me. I immediately look down.  
«Are you ok?» Jordan takes me back to reality.  
«Yes. I was just lost in thought... I think I saw someone that I know.» I lie, smiling. I feel the urgent need to know more about that man; he's different, we have this in common, maybe I can use this information to get to know him.  
«Who?»  
«That guy with the...» As I turn, I notice that my shot is disappeared. «Nevermind.» I say, his eyes still impressed in my heart. What makes him so special to my sensitive inner eyes? _There was something in his grey ones... a light trapped in two dark circles, a soul that found his perfect balance, an evil that protects an angel. This is... amazing._ Suddenly a violin starts playing a motivational, dramatic melody. **(see the notes for the song)**  
«Wanna dance, madame?» He bows to me.  
I look at the couples, dancing and moving without even brush who steps close to them. «I'm sorry, I'm not a good dancer.»  
«Ok. We can go to the garden for a breath of fresh air.»  
«Good idea.» I take my disgusting cocktail and I follow him as he guides me out of this enormous hall. I really want to get out of here, but I can't stop myself to turn and search for two grey eyes before the cold wind caresses my skin and Jordan closes the door behind me.  
The garden is wonderful, but all I see is the difference between the memory of the joyful crowd under the warm lights and the artistic nature hiding in the darkness in front of me, under a full moon which light gives this place a dark fascination. I crouch down to smell a white rose, trying to relax.  
As I stand up, Jordan hugs me from behind. «We are alone, there's nobody here that can see us.»  
«So what?» I ask, more nervously than I wanted. _I need to find those eyes, I feel he's the right one, my sixth sense never wrong._ I have no time for this poor guy.  
«We can have fun.»  
«Sorry, I'm... married.» I lie, but when I try to move his grip around my body becomes tighter.  
«Poor girl. I didn't mean what you think.» He kisses my neck.  
«What are you doing? I want to go back in.» I try to get free flinging my arms and my legs, but he's too strong.  
«Please...» I beg him and immediately after I freeze. Two red eyes behind a bush are staring at us. «I think there's an animal.» I turn my head to look at him, but he pushes it on a side, totally baring my neck under his mouth. When I look at the bush again, there's nothing. I frenetically move my eyes, searching for something undefined, but a sharp pain distracts me.  
«Jordan, what...» Another sharp twinge of pain that starts in my neck and runs in my whole body silences me and the cocktail falls from my shaking hand. My body is becoming rigid, my veins seem hot iron, I can't speak as a warm liquid keep falling on my skin and something pricks me.  
«Katrina.» A deep, loud voice calls my name.  
Jordan frees me and turn. «What the... oh. Is there any problem? How can I help you?»  
«She's mine.» The voice growls.  
«I-I'm so s-sorry. I had n-no idea.» Jordan stammers behind me and I just watch the moon and listen as the pain slowly fades away. The sounds of nature try to distract me, but I sense a strong fear close to me and it keeps me on the lookout.  
«Go back to the party.» The voice order. I hear Jordan's fast steps, but he stops before opening the door. «And please Jordan, keep badmouthing me, I need more reasons to... how did you phrase it? _Eliminate_ you.» The mysterious man beamed, I can hear the joy in his tone. It's so creepy that it makes me shiver. I hear Jordan run away, I don't know if I should thank the stranger behind me or be afraid of him.  
I turn toward the man, I have no choice. As I see him, my heart starts beating faster and harder.  
«Miss. Dobra.» He smiles, his grey eyes hiding another emotion, something dark and scary. In a few steps he's so close to me that I should raise my head to meet his hypnotic gaze. «I don't think I've ever had the pleasure to know you.»  
«You didn't, sir. It's hard to know every single person in a...»  
«So why are you at my party?» He asks politely, his smile gives way to an angry face.  
The frock to be different, his angry look... As soon as I realize he's the party organizer, I panic. «I'm a friend of a guest.»  
«Really?» He shows me the fake tickets of Gabi with a reproachful gaze. «You're not so clever.»  
I hang my head in shame. «I'm sorry sir.»  
He caresses my cheek. «Maybe you can save the night with a dance.»  
I don't know how to dance, but if some casual moves can solve the problem I have to try. I nod.  
«Good. Now, let's start again. I'm Mikael Blake.» He gives me his hand, his palm facing up. I take it, turn it on the side and shake it. He laughs.  
«I didn't know handshakes were funny.» I state.  
He shakes his head, smiling, then he gently grabs my chin to raise my head, forcing me to meet his eyes. He puts my hand on his and he kisses it. I feel an idiot as his amused gaze makes me blush.  
«May I have the honor to dance with you, madame?» He asks, every trace of anger is disappeared from his face.  
I nod.  
«I didn't heard your answer, Miss. Dobra.»  
_This is the worst night of my life, I hope it won't get worse, but it surely will, 'cause I am me._ I sigh. «Yes, sir.»  
He gives me a proud smile, opening the door.

**As a writer, I would like to kill Jordan in a horrible way for insulting the guy that will become our favorite psychopath of the story... but he's just a minor character, we have no time to waste with him! Let's focus on the first meeting of the reasonably worried Katrina and the cruel King Mikael.**  
_Note: the music the violin plays in my mind is "Lux Aeterna" !! performed by Kate Chruscicka. !!_


	5. Chapter 4

As we enter the hall, a group of beautiful women approaches us.  
«Mikael, I'm waiting to dance! It's not good for a noble man like you to make your woman wait.» One says, rubbing against him.  
Another one moves between them. «She's right, let's dance together.»  
He gently pushes them all away. «I'm sorry ladies, I still have a beautiful woman to my side tonight, our special guest: Miss. Dobra.»  
Some of the women glare at me, some give me a fake smile, I also hear someone saying "we'll be great friends".  
«Really?» A feminine voice full of anger hushes everyone. As the woman comes out of the group, I recognize her: she's the one that was talking with Mikael when I saw him for the first time. Something in her, maybe the strength she radiates, intimidates me.  
Mikael whispers something to her hear, meanwhile nobody dares to talk or get close to them. I observe her: she has long, wavy dark brown hair, breathtaking amber eyes and a thin body. As Mikael bonds his arm and I put mine on his, she looks down on me and I think she has the right to do it. _If Mikael is in love with her, you have no chance._ Wait, I'm not going to dance with him to know him, I just want so save myself from the jail... right? The little me in my mind nods, but as soon as I meet Mikael's eyes again my heart beats harder. The little me facepalm.  
Mikael turns his back to the elegant woman and for some reason I feel important, a real special guest of the party. He takes me in the middle of the crowd, walking with agility among the dancer while I collide with every person, apologizing. When we are in our space, he rests his right hand on my back and holds my right one with his left. I automatically place my left hand on his right arm, watching the marble pavement.  
«Look me in the eyes.» He order. I obey, noticing for the first time his british accent. The more I look at him, the more I want to go home with him. «Do you like my house?»  
«It is awesome, sir.»  
«I decorated it by myself, did I make a good job?»  
«You did.»  
His hand squeezes my hip. «I don't like short answers.»  
«It seems you don't like anything.» I burst out involuntarily, but when I see his disapproving eye I keep protesting. «Keep your head up, don't shake my hand, give me long answers...»  
«Don't enter my party without permission.»  
«I thought this dance could buy your forgiveness.»  
«I'm doing you a favor, do you realize this? You committed a grave crime and I asked you just a dance to forgive you everything. You seem a nice girl, stop being childish and be kind, this is the least you can do to thank me.»  
He gets on my nerves, but he's totally right. While I look in his eyes suddenly the memory of him saving me from Jordan pops up like a movie inside my eyes, just for a second, then I see him again. I look at his smiling face, wide-eyed.  
«Are you ok, love?» He asks, smiling. I probably look shocked... well, I am, a flashback just appeared in my mind in which I felt trapped like it was the reality. Too complicated and crazy to explain.  
«Yes, I am...» I don't know what my mind was trying to tell me, but I remembered that not only he forgot me, he just saved my life from... something pricking my neck and paralyzing my body. What's happening to me? Am I dreaming? «... and I think you furnished this place very well, it seems modern and old fashioned at the same time, the sark yellow of the walls is really relaxing.»  
«Thanks.»  
«Did you chose the paintings too?»  
«You're opening to me. Good.» He sounds satisfied when I do what he says, I would like to tell him I'm not his little girl, but I don't wanna be rude and it would also make it seem I'm wrong because he's gentle. Most importantly, I don't wanna go in jail. I suppose I have no choice, I'll be the little girl of this man for the night. «I can see the irritation in your eyes.» He smiles.  
I know this is childish, but I wanna do everything to contradict him. I give him my best smile. «You didn't answer my question, Mister Blake.»  
«You're right, I apologize. I didn't buy those paintings, I painted them by myself.»  
« _Great._ » I scowl. _Wanna see who's in control? Here's your war, mister._ «I would be a terrible person if I lie to you about your art, so I feel the need to tell you the majority of them means nothing to me, especially the one near the entrance, the one that represents you.» I shot.  
He chuckles.  
«It seems bad things make you happy.» I say to insult him.  
«You understand me well. Diana was right, you're pretty sensitive.» He answers, leaving me stunned.  
«I don't know any Diana.»  
«A Diana knows you. She's one of my spies, she just searched the necessary information on you to be sure you weren't here to try to kill me.»  
«You should have a lot of enemies to think that a girl without an invitation enters your party to kill you.»  
«Jordan told you.» He says. _Did he spy me for all the time I've been here?_  
«Now that you know I'm not here to kill you, why don't you let me go?»  
«I still don't know why are you here.» He surprises me again.  
«Is it important?»  
«It is, cause you are.»  
«I don't think you need to be courteous to know what you want, you are the King of this empire.»  
«I know, but I want to. I never meant to get on your nerves, Katrina, you seem a sensitive yet strong girl and I would like to know you better. I know sometimes I can be difficult, but please, give me a shot. I'm sure we can become good friends.» He seems sincere.  
I would like to think about it, but I spontaneously say my thoughts out loud. «If I made a good image of you in my mind, I think we are too different to be friends. You are...»  
«Evil.» He interjects. «Trust me, I would be honored to ruin you, angel. If you would like to fight back, I think we'll have so much fun together.»  
«I...» Suddenly other images appear in my mind and become my reality for a few seconds: my mother scolding me for Gabi's plan, my sister insulting me, me and Gabi in the Jacuzzi talking about what I want. With the images comes my thoughts and my feelings. I'm living those moments again. I try to stop my mind and Mikael's grey eyes slowly fade in my view, but soon I'm still trapped in my head. When I go back to reality, Mikael is smiling and dancing with me, everything is normal again.  
«I assume you're happy with it. I can change your life, Katrina. With me you can have everything you dream: freedom, love, money... power and revenge. I'll be your hero and the villain of whoever hurts you.» His words arouse a fire in my heart. My mind goes off.  
«What if I give you a chance?»  
«I would handle it with kid gloves.» He promises.  
The violin stop playing and we go to the bar.  
«What's your favorite cocktail?» He asks, calling the barman raising a hand.  
«Water. I can't drink anything else, I don't like alcohol.»  
«I don't think so.» He orders two B-52 shots. As I grab mine, the barman sets fire to it and I drop it on the counter. Mikael laughs and I follow him. «You're not used to this kind of event, aren't you?»  
«I rather read a book in my bed than party.» I say. I take a sip of the cocktail and I close my eyes: it has a sweet, creamy taste.  
«Do you like it?»  
_This is way better than water and cola._ «It's not bad.» I smirk. «You should be an expert on alcoholic drinks as a party organizer.»  
«I've been drinking for about a thousand years, I think I have good knowledge in this field.» He orders other two cocktails.  
«A thousand years? You don't seem that old.»  
«I love when people say this.» He beams. «Now, let's talk about you.» He says, pushing the cocktail that slides to me.

«Gabi didn't know where to hide the keys, so I put them between my boobs!» I slur. I think I drank too many cocktails. And I talked too much, enough to inform Mikael about the size of my tits.  
After a long pause, my brain manages to say something sensible. «What about you?»  
«What do you want to know?»  
I try to remember what makes me curious about him, besides his eyes. «Jordan told me that you are so bad.»  
«Judge by yourself. I don't care about who loves me, love is boring, peace is boring. I enjoy inflicting pain to my enemies, people full of hate like me. The adrenaline that a fight can give you is priceless: the power, the fear, the anger... this is what I live for.» He makes me sit on his lap.  
«Hate is a form of love. If you hate someone, you care about that person.»  
«That's why I often have sex after a fight with my lovers.»  
I feel the heat in my cheeks. «Which is your favorite moment?»  
He pulls me on his body and I let him do it, bravely running my hand in his soft curls. «The instant between the two, when you realize there's light on you. It has always been there, but you can't notice it until you meet the darkness.» His words are deep, my lucid mind would be fascinated by these.  
The barman hands Mikael another drink and I take it, sticking out my tongue at him. He laughs.  
«Give me that drink, Katrina.»  
«No.» I sass.  
His smile fades away as he glowers at me. «Katrina, I said...»  
I pour all the liquid on the floor and I drop the glass that shatters. «Ops.» I say with a childish smile.  
The crowd turns to us and everybody starts chatting. The barman runs to clean up. Mikael scowls at me. «You'll pay for it.»  
«Can't wait.» I provoke him, sitting astride on him. The inner me is dying for the shame, but I'm too drunk to care about her or anything else besides the man under me, that gives me a big smile.  
«I'm glad you came to the party, love.» He chortles.  
I smile and I stand up, walking away. He grabs my arm. «Where are you going?» He pulls me back, my resistance can't win over his strength.  
«I'm tired.» I answer, rubbing my eyes.  
«I won't let you go home alone.»  
«I'll go with my best friend, Miss. Rea.» I fling my arm to free it, but he grips it tighter. «You're hurting me.»  
«Don't force me to stalk you again.»  
«Fuck you.» I squeak, scratching his arm with my free one.  
«I assume you were saying it to somebody else.» He growls, his grip becomes tighter again. I feel a terrible pain in my arm, I can't even move it anymore. I can't help but start crying. The tears blur my vision and I look Mikael in the eyes as the pain makes me lucid again.  
«I'm sorry. Please, let me go home.» I beg him, drying my eyes. When I see his eyes clearly again, I notice an emotion in these, something similar to anger. _Desire_. He wipes a tear away from my face and he releases my arm. I delicately massage it and as his hand tries to reach my face again I slap it away, running in the crowd to search Gabriela, without looking back. People stare at me like I'm a monster and the sadness grows in me. After a few minutes I find Gabi drunk, kissing a stranger. I pull her by her arm out of this hell.  
When the cold wind caresses my face and I'm surrounded by strangers that ignore me I feel extremely better.  
Gabi plants herself in front of me, looking at me with a shocked expression. «What happened?»  
«I just picked the wrong guy. Can we go back to the hotel?»  
«Sure, honey.» She says, caressing my face.

Me and Gabi walk and I listen to the list of guys Gabi kissed tonight.  
«I would like to be sexy as much as you.» I say.  
«Girl, I'm a fat bitch, you don't wanna be me, I wanna be you!» She slaps my butt and I giggle.  
«She's right, you're sexy as fuck, that's why you shouldn't walk in Las Vegas alone during the night.» A young man approaches us. When Gabi hugs him, other guys enter in my view. They are a group, they seem everything but gentlemen, I would say they are rappers for their street style.  
«I think we can go home alone without any problem.»  
«Are you kidding me?!» Gabi bursts out. «We had a bad night, we really need those handsome knights to drive us home.» She says with a sensual voice.  
«But...»  
«What are we waiting for? Let's go!» Gabi walks past me.  
I sigh, worried. Two men of the group take my arms and I have no choise if not follow them.

They are friendly, I admit it, but I don't like them anyway.  
«Why do you go to school if you still have a job? It's useless.» Mark asks.  
«I love reading, I'm a nerd.»  
«Seriously? I wouldn't say that.»  
I giggle. «You really think I'm sexy and not just cute?» I blush when I say "sexy".  
«Yes. You're beautiful, nameless girl.» He kisses my hand and I chuckle.  
«I won't tell you my name before... ahi!» Something pricks my shoulder. «What was that?»  
John taps my aching skin. «There was a bee here, I think it stung you.»  
«Oh my gosh, I need to disinfect it. Gabi, have you...» I notice that Gabi and the other guys aren't with us anymore.  
Mark and John drive me fast in a silent, little street and I panic as I feel more tired at every step and a strange heat starts growing in me from down there.  
«Where's Gabi?» I ask.  
«Don't worry about her. Spread your legs for me, slut.» John snarls.  
I paralyze. I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.  
Mark violently pushes me on the wall. «Are you fucking deaf? Do it!» He rages.  
_That wasn't a bee_ , I realize before my vision blurs and I start crying, opening my legs.

**Do I have to say something about the next chapter? Someone will obviously suffer... besides Katrina.**  
**LITTLE SPOILER/CLUE: I didn't create Mikael the beast to drink a cocktail while his crush is being raped.**


	6. Chapter 5

John unfastens his trousers' flies. «Do what you're born for, bitch.»  
I close my eyes as he grabs me by the neck. «Please, don't hurt me, maybe I can help you.» I say.  
I hear him laughing. «Sure you can! Take your panties off.» He scoffs, pulling my panties by the sides. I pull them up and I hear the cloth tearing.  
I try to take long, deep breaths. «I didn't mean that. I'm sure you have your reasons to hurt me, probably you've been hurt too, but violence can't stop violence. We can just talk about what makes you feel that bad to vent your anger on someone else, a confidential chat can surely help you.»  
«Shut up, whore!» Mark booms at me.  
John chuckles, surprising both me and his friend. «Poor, innocent girl. You can't understand.»  
«At least try to explain it.» I quaver.  
He looks around for a few minutes, absorbed by his thoughts, then he suddenly gets so close to my face that I can feel his warm, stinky breath on my lips. «People hurt the others because they enjoy it.» He shots.  
A scream echoes in the street, breaking the tension between us.  
«Mark?» John calls, looking around. My vision is still blurred, I can't see clearly what's happening and that makes me even more anxious. John comes back to me and I shiver. «What have you done to him? Did you call your friends to save you? Where's Mark, bitch?!» He yells in my face.  
«That ain't no way to treat a lady.» Someone growls. I recognize his voice. Mikael is leaned against the wall, just a few steps far from me. I can't help but admire his athletic body, he's a giant compared to John, that is well-built too. I hope they won't fight, and if they do, I don't know who should I side with to go home safe. _The only thing I like of this city is the atmosphere. I miss Flint so much I could jump off the airplane as soon as I see my little house_.  
«Who the hell are you?» John asks.  
«For you, I'm the death.» He states, then my eyes see something crazy: in an instant, Mikael walks in front of John that jumps and falls. I observe the scene, asking myself what kind of drug did John injected me. Mikael breaks a structure near us, a loud sound of metals bursts my eardrums and I instinctively cover my ears with my hands, pressing me up against the wall. I see Mikael taking an iron bar «You're lucky that Katrina's here. If she wouldn't, your end would be extremely slow and theatrical.» I can see him smiling before he beats John's face with the iron bar, cutting his head off, and he thrusts his weapon in his chest like a flag on the moon.  
The tears start falling on my cheeks as I watch the dead body, the blood on me and Mikael's proud expression. When his eyes meet my shocked face, his smile disappears. «Come here.» He says, I feel sadness in his voice while he opens his arms.  
«Please, don't kill me. I won't talk. I just wanna go home and hug my parents and my sister and... I just wanna keep living.» I cry, my arms close to my chest and my legs trembling, weak.  
«You will, but you need to do something for me.» He gets close to me with caution, like I'm the danger... or in danger.  
I nod. «Whatever you want.»  
«Don't be scared. I can sense your fear and it makes me harder to fight the desire of your pain, and your blood.» He says. His words are absurd and creepy, but real.  
I don't really understand what's happening and what he said, the shock and the confusion clouding my mind, but I think I got what he wants. «Ok, I'll be quiet and calm.»  
«Good.» He says, getting close. I inspire slowly to calm down, then I exhale and I fall... in his big arms. «I've got you, love.» He whispers to me in the silent street. «It's everything ok, I'll take you home. I won't let anybody hurt you again, you're under my protection now.» He stands up and he starts walking fast, like I'm not heavy. He's moving, but I can't hear his steps.  
I raise my head and I look at his perfect face, the same that was smiling after a kill. I can't believe I keep finding him attractive. _This is not real, nobody died and drugs invented everything you saw after the party_. I repeat this phrase as a mantra in my head to believe I'm just not me at the moment. Meanwhile, I admire my hallucination: he has a short beard, his skin seems pale white, but second by second it becomes rosy. I caress his face and he doesn't seem to notice it, it's warm even if out here is very cold. He smells like cocktails, wild nature and blood, the moon lights his handsomeness and I can clearly see that his grey eyes don't need to be lightened, they are pure light by themselves. Suddenly they are on me.  
«You don't seem happy to be saved, little princess.»  
His affirmation shocks me, but I'm too tired also to act shocked. «You brutally killed a man before my eyes.» I state, shivering at the thought. Should I call the police or run away? I don't even know if that really happened or I'm trapped in my mind again, this time because of whatever is running in my veins. I would like to know why it happened also at the party, when I was still lucid, but I still have too many questions and no time.  
«I'm sorry for what your innocent eyes have been forced to see, but I had no choice. He deserved to be executed immediately.»  
«You can't decide for other people's life.»  
«Oh dear, trust me, I can decide who lives, who dies and sometimes who can come back from death.»  
«Listen, I don't know what you're talking about...»  
«Sure you don't.» He interjects me with a disturbing smile.  
«...but what I know is that violence can't stop violence.»  
«But he stopped, and now you're safe. It would be different if I didn't execute him.»  
«You didn't. This isn't real, this is just a dream. It just can't be real.» I sob, my mind is giving up, everything seems real and impossible at the same time.  
Mikael kisses my head and something in my heart instantly changes, the fear becomes something good I can't give a name to. «I thought behind this cute mask there was a bad girl, but I was totally wrong. Katrina, women with your sensitiveness are rare and precious, you're too delicate and nice for this cruel world. I would like to save you, but I'm the first person you should stay away from. You'll be forced to change, to be weak and gave in to the darkness, because when you meet a monster you have only two choices: fight or die.»  
«Or be saved as a princess.» I say, surprising the both of us. «By another handsome monster.» I add. Mikael smiles to me and I feel my heart melting. Watching around, I realize that he doesn't know where I'm staying for the night. «Wait, where are you taking me?»  
«At the Ceasar Palace, room number 709.» He answers.  
«How do you...»  
«You're really curious, aren't you?» He glares at me, but his anger vanishes fast. «Anyway, that idiot was right.»  
His warm arms around my little body make me relax, they are better than a blanket. I close my eyes. «About what?»  
«Some people hurt the others because they enjoy it. I'm one of them, that's why you should stay away from me.»  
«What if I can't?» I mumble, feeling the heat growing between my legs. I'm tired, but something down there don't wanna sleep.  
«If you can't we're fucked up, 'cause if I can't leave you today I never will.» His deep voice echoes in my head.  
The heat grows in me, my body needs to be touched. I'm out of control, I have to do something.  
«Mikael.» I call him with a sensual voice that makes me feel a different woman.  
«Katrina?» He answers, looking in my eyes again, now opened.  
«I... I need your help.» I whisper, raising my head.  
«The drugs they gave you aroused you, Katrina.» He says as we enter the hall of the hotel.  
I feel the heat in my cheeks, but the embarrassment isn't more intense than the turn-on. «I feel it, and it's getting worse. I can't resist it.» I say as I escape from his comfortable arms and walk away from him, confused and impatient. I find a little corridor full of things for bathrooms, the silence is better than the confusion in the hall, but it doesn't placate my desire of... him. I run my hands in my hair, panting.  
«Katrina.» I hear his voice. As I turn, I see him at a few steps from me.  
I pull myself against a wall. «Go away.»  
«I just wanna be sure you'll be ok.»  
«I will. Go.» I say, closing my eyes. When I open them, he's still here.  
«Don't give me orders.» He says in a deep, raspy voice, and I feel that from this moment there will be an us, no matter if positive or negative.  
I walk slowly to him, exasperated. I kiss him on the cheek.  
«Don't do it again or...»  
«What? You'll kill me? If you will, you have to grant me a last wish.» I put my hand on his crotch, he's hard and hot.  
Our eyes meet, I drown in his lights.  
«Fuck it.» He kisses me on the lips, pinning my arms over my head with one hand and touching me everywhere with the other one. I rub my body on his while his tongue explores my mouth, gifting me the taste of a new bitter cocktail. _I don't feel so innocent anymore_. «This is nothing compared to what I want to do with you. To you, Katrina.» He says as if he heard my thoughts, our lips separating and reconciling between the words.  
Someone clears his throat and I instinctively push Mikael away, but he doesn't move of an inch before he kissed me one more time, now gently and slowly. As I open my eyes, I meet his angry gaze that turns toward a man behind us.  
The poor guy wears an overalls, he glares at us through his round glasses and I can't stop imagining every possible end to this embarrassing situation with a kind of gangster like Mikael. «If you have a room here, you can go there, all have been cleaned. If you are here for other reasons, you better get out now.» The cleaner says, his hands on his hips.  
Mikael takes a step towards him and I immediately take him by the arm. «I booked a suit, let's go Mikael.» I say.  
The guy snorts and walks away. I sigh and I pull Mikael in the elevator, only touching his hard skin gives me goose bumps.  
When the door closes, he places himself in front of me. «Never do it again.»  
«What?» I ask, a mix of anger and confusion explodes in me.  
«Don't try to stop me, don't give me orders, don't let assholes run away without being punished.» He growls, his body totally covers my view, but tonight I'm too mad to be scared by an angry monster.  
«You already punished too many people tonight, don't you? You're not the devil.»  
«Are you sure about this?» He gets so close that I can see only his eyes. The light in them slowly fades away and the black limbal rings widen out until I see his soul, full darkness.  
«You...» I whisper, hypnotized.  
«Come on, say it, Katrina. Say it!» He screams at me and I shake, but my eyes keep watching his.  
I take his face in my hands and his muscles immediately relax under my touch. «You are wonderful.»  
He let out a long, slow breath. A black tear caresses his face, then my hand; it's hot, my skin flushes, but I resist to the pain, I'm afraid that if I move the red smoke flying in his eyes will disappear. Then the door opens.  
He holds me, his hands on my ass, walking fast in my room, kissing me roughly.  
I think I found what I was searching, or more. A man. A violent, mad, handsome lover that acts like the devil, punishing bad people to save me and hurting me for his enjoyment. I think I like him. _Great. I can't even say if I'm ironic or not, I don't know if it's all wrong or everything's perfect, real or in my drunk mind, I just wanna drown in his damned eyes_.


	7. Chapter 6

We fall on the king-size bed. His right hand caresses my cheek to my chin while he kisses me, the other one cups and massages my breast. He squeezes it hard and I gasp, pushing his chest with my hand to stop him, but one second later both my hands are over my head.  
He grins at me and takes my mask off. «Don't touch me.»  
«But you hurt me!»  
«I know. I told you what I like, who I am, and if you don't like it, it's too late to run away. So keep your soft mouth shut and let me take my pleasure.» His mouth collides with mine, but this talk can't end like this, so I turn my head. He starts kissing my neck and I move away. Suddenly his hand is around my neck, I can't breathe.  
He presses a finger on my lips. «Hush.» He orders, then frees my neck.  
 _I didn't know he could go so far. I don't even want to have sex, why didn't I go to my room by myself? I took him with me because I can't resist the heat now constantly growing in me. Bad idea. I saw him killing a person, hurting me, smiling to bad things, what did I expect?_ I thought it was a nightmare, but it's not. I can feel this is real. My moist private parts are real, the pain is real when he bites my lower lip, the taste of blood is real and better than I ever thought. I try to relax and play along with him, but he grasps my head and run his hand under my slips, grabbing my ass, and his pleasant torture becomes unbearable.  
«Just do it fast, Mikael. Make me yours, so you'll be the first and the last to possess me. Isn't it what you want?» I ask, opening my eyes to understand why he stopped.  
He raises on his arms, looking suspiciously at me. «Are you pure, Katrina?» He asks.  
«What do you mean?»  
He sighs. «Are you innocent?»  
«...I never killed anyone.»  
«Did anyone ever fucked you?» He bursts out.  
I blush, shaking my head.  
«I didn't hear your answer.» He says, sitting on the edge of the bed.  
«No.» I say, sitting up a little.  
«No what?» He asks with a smirk. I would like to punch him to make him understand I'm not getting fun, but I think he already knows it, he just doesn't care and have fun with my emotions.  
«I'm not your toy. I accepted everything you proposed to me, but...»  
«You don't wanna say it?»  
«No.»  
«Good. Don't.»  
I look at him wide-eyed. «What?» _Where's the trap?_  
«You don't have to do it. I can check it by myself.» His hand runs up on my thigh so fast I can't even think, so I take his wrist and he takes mine with his free hand, crushing it. After a few seconds trying to free myself, I give up and let the tears wet my cheeks, sobbing, hunging my head. He wipes my tears and I don't stop him, too afraid that he could crush also my other wrist.  
«Don't be scared, it makes me desire your pain harder and I haven't much self-control.» He says, his voice firm and cold.  
«I can't. My wrist hurts.» I sob, watching my trapped hand trembling and dangerously changing color.  
«Stop resisting.» He orders. I obey and he immediately leaves my wrist that falls on the mattress. I can't move it, if I try a sharp pain stops me.  
Mikael's hand runs again on my thigh up to my slips.  
«Please, stop.» I cry.  
«You know how to stop me.»  
«Ok. I'm pure!» I yell, hugging my legs to hide my face in my knees. I hear him moaning. I peek up at him and I see he's now standing near the door.  
«You're a girl with rare sensitiveness, you can do great in this world. I can't ruin you, I already destroyed too much beauty in the world.»  
«Stay.» _Did I say it? Fuck yes, I did and I want it so bad_. «There's beauty in you too and I will free it.»  
«There's nothing good in me and I'm ok with it.»  
«You're wrong, let me show you what I see in your darkness, please. Please, stay.» _You're pathetic and totally out of your mind_. My subconscious comment, but I ignore it.  
«The event isn't end yet, the organizer can't leave before his guests.» He clutches at straws.  
«You left the party to follow me?» I ask, shocked. He glares at me and he opens his mouth, but words don't come out.  
After a long silence, his eyes start looking everything but me. «Run away from me, Katrina.»  
«Please, don't leave me alone!»  
«I said stay away or I'll fucking kill you.» He growls.  
I look at him, sad and disappointed. «Ok. By the way, as a king you suck: you don't even have the courage to take what you want.» I state, emotionless, looking straight in his eyes, now normal.  
He runs to me and I instinctively cover my face with my hands, scared. He uncovers it and as our gazes meet I see my house, my city from the airplane and I hear my voice naming Flint. I blink to come back to reality and I look around: Mikael is gone. Forever. _Is it good?_ Yes, he's a monster. _A monster that gave you more emotions than everyone else in your entire life_. I don't know if it's right or normal and I don't care, I start crying and wishing him to come back. My hands mess my hair, then grip the cloth of my dress until I feel it wet. I look at the dark stain on the red dress, feeling in need of air as soon as I realize there's blood on me and it's not mine. _It's all real. I'm in Las Vegas, I've been attacked two times in a night, I'm drunk and on drugs, my crush is a monster that killed some people and... and..._ My head is spinning, I close my eyes. When I open them, I'm laying on the bed.  
 _Where's Gabi?_ «Mom? I feel bad.» I whisper to the full moon. I try to stand up to ask for help, but my arms are weak and I can't help but close my eyes again.

An intoxicating aroma of herbs wakes me. I sit on the bed, feeling extremely relaxed. I don't remember almost anything about yesterday, I just know I'm in Las Vegas and I think I went to a party. I take a sip of the delicious, sweet tea on the bedside table and I notice there are also a letter and a little blue box. I open the letter.  
 _'Morning, love._  
 _Don't thank me for anything, I just did the right thing for the first time in my life. I saved you from myself._  
 _I'm a beast, Katrina. Your pain is my pleasure. Your love is my weakness. We can't be together, accept it._  
 _Now, do one last thing for me. Drink the tea and eat some cookies, I want you to feel good as much as you felt before coming to my party. By the way, I hope you like your new pajama, it's an old one of my sister and I thought you would have liked it._  
 _I didn't want to break your heart since your is special, that's why I decided to give you something that maybe can make you smile remembering your first and probably last night in Las Vegas, remembering me. It's a ring. It's really important that you keep it and wear it every day, I wanna feel with you all the time, always and forever._  
 _I know it's wrong, but I hope to meet you again._  
 _Mikael_  
I open the precious box and I admire the ring: there is a symbol on it, a kind of cross with a heart in place of the upper part. In the little heart, there is a red stone. I wonder if it has a meaning.  
I take the phone and I call Gabi. She answers at the third attempt.  
«What?» She mumbles.  
«Can we stay another night? I have some outstanding issues to resolve with a man.»  
«Excuse me?!» She screams in my hear. «A man? You? What the hell?»  
«I can explain. I mean... just help me to meet him again and you'll understand by yourself.» I hang up and I look at myself. The pajama I wear is extremely comfortable and elegant, I can't imagine how much it could cost. I hug myself and I sniff it: the fragrance on it remembers me of him... I open my eyes widely, feeling the heat intensifying in my cheeks. _Oh my God, he undressed me_.


	8. Chapter 7

«He undressed me while I was asleep.» I think it's the third time I say this.  
Gabi looks at me wide-eyed, her mouth open. «Are you still virgin? Check!» She tries to unbutton my jeans.  
«No way!» I stop her and we end fighting like two cats. Many eyes on the airplane are on us, but this time I don't mind it, I've my business to care about. Gabi and I tried to enter the villa, but there were guards everywhere and they told us we were not authorized to enter the place. We decided to go home, there was no chance to meet Mikael again, he didn't want to see me, the letter was explicit on this. I accepted it when a flash of a man with an iron bar in the chest appeared in my mind. Did that really happen? I don't know, maybe it's better to forget every mystery and remember only the good things about this adventure. As soon as I stop Gabi, I look at the ring on my finger, it's gorgeous and whatever is his meaning it's something about love, enough to make me wear it and remember Mikael as a good man of my past.  
«Are you ready to face your shitty family?» Gabi gives me a bored look.  
«You mean my overprotective parents and my rude sister? Yea, I can survive.»  
«I can come with you.»  
«No, thanks. I will go home and let them scream at me, I don't wanna fight. I always thought I should have been more bad, but I discovered that there are people in the world that thinks my sensitiveness is a gift, not a fault that totally ruins my life.»  
«Your sensitiveness is a good thing for this world, your life is ruined by people that don't sense nor care about it.»  
I hug Gabi. Then the only mystery I wanna resolve comes to my mind.  
«Where did you sleep?» I ask, smirking with a provocative gaze.  
«Isn't it obvious? I slept with a guy.» She answers, smiling. I keep staring at her, my eyebrows raise. «Ok, maybe three guys!»

I raise my hand and I knock at the door, but my fist goes in the void. Mom looks at me, her make up is so ruined by the tears that she seems a panda.  
«My girl.» She cries.  
«Mom, I...» She slaps me, brutally interrupting me.  
«How could you do this to your mother?» Dad asks, his voice trembling.  
«Yea, how could you come back?» Nora says, but we all ignore her.  
«Go to your room. Now.» Mom orders, her eyes slowly lose the sadness.  
I walk to my room and I hear my dad locking the door. I should be sad, it would be right for what I have done to my lovely parents, and I'm sorry that I don't. I put my new expensive pajama on, it still smells of him, and I lay on my old, little pink bed. The stone at my finger glows in the dark and I think about him as I close my eyes. _His british accent, his grey lighting eyes, his athletic body_. I feel the cold growing in my heart and I start doubting that the hell is made of fire. I hug my legs, holding my tears, and as soon as I fall asleep a noble man invades my dreams.  
 _Mikael skates with me on the ice. I love ice skating, but I'm so clumsy that I failed at it as in every sport I tried. Surprisingly, now I'm skating like an expert. We stop in the middle of the rink, his forehead on mine, his warm breath caresses my lips_.  
 _«I knew I couldn't let you go after that kiss. I hope one day you'll forget me. You are mine, Katrina. You've always been.» He articulates every word, "you are mine". It makes me feel good, like I'm in heaven. I smile and..._  
I open my eyes. He's here, in a corner of my little pink room. I recognize his eyes glowing in the darkness on his shocked face. He should be one of my mysterious hallucinations, Mikael isn't in Flint, let alone in my bedroom. It's better like this, so I can say whatever I want to him, he won't get angry and I won't feel wrong.  
«I would like you to come back, but I know you won't. You know I wasn't lying when I told you there's something good in you, why can't you accept it and stop being a monster with me? Just with me. It would make me feel so special.» I mumble, trying to keep my eyes opened. «You want me to be happy again as I was before your party, but the truth is that I've never been happier before I met you. My crazy mind remembers you told me that you love the moment between fight and sex, when you realize there's light in the darkness you live in. I found my light in you and I realized that after you meet the light, you can't bear the darkness anymore. My life sucks, I can't hide it to myself forever 'cause now I know what is real happiness, maybe real love.» A tear wet my cheek. «If magic exists, I hope it will make you come back to me. Please, come back, Mikael. I'm tired of being used and mistreated by everyone, I don't wanna become bad as you said and you know you can prevent this from happening, you just have to come here and protect me from this evil world. I know you can and you want it.»  
«Sleep.» He orders in a monotone voice, observing me. He sounds real as every other hallucination I had and I'm happy about this.  
I kiss my ring and I smile. Twenty years of hell, one night to find love, an eternity to keep it. At least I'll never be bored and I'll have no time to complain while trying to love a serial killer. _Why aren't you scared of him?_ My subconscious surprises me. _I don't know. I'm not when he's not hurting me. I know he's dangerous, but for some reason I can only see what I like of him_. I answer to myself. I look into his breathtaking eyes one more time, then I close mines and my mind go back to the ice rink, but this time neither me nor Mikael talks, we just look at each other and keep skating.

I hear a weird sound. I open my eyes and I see a hand, then I focus on Nora's angry gaze behind it. She snaps her fingers close to my face until I take her hand, groaning.  
«What the hell, Nora?» I mumble with a gravy voice.  
«Where's your surprise?» She flutters a piece of paper.  
«What are you talking about?»  
She reads the page with a horrible imitation of my voice. « _Nora, you are my sister, I love you_.» She fakes a retch and I roll my eyes. « _I hope that the surprise will finally let you see me as an adult. I promise that one day I'll make you proud of me, big sis_. So, where is the surprise?» She asks, raising her brow, a smirk on her face.  
I sigh. Mikael would be a great surprise since he's sexier than all the handsome boyfriends she had, but he's not here.  
«So?» She insists, increasing my usual morning nerves.  
«I found a boyfriend.» I spit, standing up. As I stretch, I see her wide-open mouth. I can't help but smile at her shocked expression. «Any problems with that?»  
«No.» She immediately says, shaking her head so fast that it seems she's trembling. «Did he follow you in Flint?»  
«No, he couldn't.»  
Nora's body relaxes and her unnerving smirk comes back. «Good lie, Katrina. Now stop talking bullshits and come with me, I wanna show you my new real boyfriend, he'll have breakfast with us.»  
 _She can't believe me without proof of the existence of Mikael, I should have known this_. I go to the dining room and I see a redhead talking with my mother.  
«Shawn!» When Nora calls him, he turns and I see his half-naked muscular body covered in tattoos.  
He looks at me from head to toe. «She's the weirdo, right?»  
«Yea, my forever virgin sister, Katrina.» Nora and Shawn laugh at me. The truth hurts, they are right and the sadness shows itself in my eyes... but it disappears in a blink. _If Mikael was there, you wouldn't be so unrespectful_ , I think, trying to keep a fake smile and stay silent to be a better person than them.  
Shawn sits at the table, occupying an entire side of it with his legs opened and his arms on the back of the other chairs. «Where's breakfast?»  
I take some seconds to realize he's talking to me. «I think my mom is cooking it.»  
«What is she cooking? I'm hungry.»  
«I don't know, I...»  
«Go to the kitchen and take a look, it's not that hard.» He says like I'm the stupid one.  
I open my mouth and then there's Mikael putting an iron bar in a man's chest in front of my mind's eyes. I want to feel scared as I should, but there's something else growing in me, someone else. A part of myself that I never dared to free. Shawn and Nora's expressions suddenly change, they seem worried.  
I keep smiling. «I think you can check by yourself what's for breakfast, don't you? Use your legs as long as you can.»  
Shawn looks around. «Girl, you're creepy. I don't wanna have breakfast with you, can't you go to a bar or...?»  
«Creepy? I'm sorry I don't act like a bitch. Uhm, there's something wrong in my sentence... oh, right, I'm not sorry of being myself nor be respectful also towards assholes.» I say calmly. The shocked faces of the couple motivate me to keep talking, I admit that I'm enjoying this conversation and whatever was awaking inside me now seems something positive to me. «Now, since this is the house of my family, if you don't wanna have breakfast with me you can kick your own ass out of here, there's a bar at every corner of the city. If you wanna stay, be nice and stop complaining.»  
My sister stands up. «You can't...»  
«Shut up, Nora!» I burst out, scaring everyone, myself too. I glare at Nora that sits down, looking down at the table with an angry face.  
«What's happening?» Mom comes out of the kitchen, looking at us all.  
«Nothing.» I say with my best smile. «We were just discussing about school. Shawn.» As I call him, he raises like a dog when he hears his name. «Sit straight, please.» I order. He obeys, his face is emotionless.  
I walk away, proud of myself. _Who are you? I can't recognize my girl anymore_! The little me in my mind compliments me, jumping and clapping. I get undressed and I enter the bathroom in my bedroom. The lukewarm water caresses my skin and I close my eyes to relax... but I can't, I feel guilty. I've been bad with Nora and Shawn like I never been with anyone, what happened to me? I would never act like that. My heart starts beating fast and hard as it wants to get out my chest, there's something wrong in me those days. I come out of the shower and as I turn his grey eyes meet mines.


	9. Chapter 8

I gasp, my mouth stays open, but the voice doesn't come out. He's half-naked.  
He gives me a little smile, holding the bathrobe for me. «Don't give me time to look down, I don't want to, not yet, but you know I hardly control myself.»  
«I can't...» I stammer.  
He comes closer and I feel the warmth in his body as he drops the cloth. The water falling on my abdomen becomes hot near his abs that my hands slowly trace; my breasts pressed on his skin, trying to protect themselves from the cold reality around us. We raise our heads at the same time. He watches my lips and as he closes his eyes I push him away, but I'm the one that moves back. He stays where he is like a statue. A statue of an angry warrior.  
«I meant that I can't keep going like this.» As everytime I'm with him, I say everything crosses my mind out loud, conscious that this is wrong like everything happened in the last few days. «Since I've been at your party I have hallucinations. I've seen you kill a man, your eyes becoming like vantablack, you running so fast it seemed you used teleport... what's happening? Am I crazy?»  
«You're not.» He replies, serious.  
I gulp and I ask something that always been in my mind, but I never even had the courage to ask myself. «What are you?» I breathe.  
Keeping his eyes in mines, he takes the bathrobe. I put it on fast to take the distance from him again. Every second my fear grows and the cold comes back, my body shakes.  
«I'm the something most far from a human.» He reveals.  
«What are you talking about? Are you crazy too?»  
«No, Katrina.»  
I ignore his courtesy. «Why can't I be myself anymore? Why do I see horrible things everywhere?»  
«I can't tell you.»  
«You have to!» I shout at him, punching him on the chest.  
He grabs my wrist, but this time he doesn't hurt me. He waits until I stop opposing.«You wouldn't understand, Katrina. All you need to know is that if you love me, you must accept to rot in hell with me 'cause as I already told you, I'm evil. My life, what I am, will always be a mystery for you. I just want to protect you from the world and myself, let me do it.»  
«How can I...» I whimper.  
«That's exactly what you shouldn't do, questioning about me or my existence.» He releases my wrists from his strong grip and I turn to hide my tears.  
«I can't accept it. I can't live in a mysterious hell with an evil king. Do you expect me to ignore you while you're killing people?»  
«You did, didn't you?»  
«I...» _I didn't do anything. I was shocked_. «I thought that was a hallucination.»  
«You understood it wasn't later, but you didn't call the police anyway.»  
«How do you...»  
«Hush, little princess. I know you more than everyone else, trust me. You are sensitive, delicate, sweet, but also strong and obstinate. I'm old, but in all my existence I never met a girl so complicated and wonderful. I love you, Katrina. You're like a snowflake.»  
«And you're like a cobweb, complicated and scary to catch your victims. I don't wanna be your next one, Mikael. I'll call the police and you better don't stop me, we're not alone here, if I scream...»  
«Do you love me, Katrina?»  
 _No, I don't. You fooled me for a night, but our love is going to end now. I won't be your next victim, your trap failed, keep going building your stupid empire, maybe one day you'll find the right gold-digger for you and she will accept to love a serial killer with vantablack pupils and live in her crazy visions!_ I look in his grey eyes with an air of superiority, standing on my tip-toes to reach at least his neck with my head. The light trapped in his limbal rings is still there. «I love the good side of you.» I say, trying to keep my voice firm.  
«There's not a good side of me, I already told you.»  
«And I still don't believe you. I'm stubborn, you know me, don't you?» I take a step towards him and I mess up his dark blonde curls with my fingers. A little curly lock caresses his eyelashes and I admire it like the detail of a realistic portrait. _This is definitely real. He's here, in Flint, in my bathroom_.  
«You can't love only the best of me.»  
I sigh, putting my head against his chest. _It seems I'm the gold-digger I was talking about, but I don't want his money, I want his body and his glowing grey soul_. «What should I bear?»  
«My anger, my needs, me. I want you to accept my nature, stop asking what I can't tell you and never be afraid of me. If you can do this, I promise you I'll make you live in your best dream. I live in hell, but I'm the king and I can build a little paradise for you. You just have to love me.»  
«I...»  
«Be my woman and I'll give you everything you've ever wanted.» He says it with decisively and I feel his _little princess_ still.  
I can survive to him, but I have questions that can't be ignored and I think I know how to have my answers. «Let me think about it.» I give him a sly smile and I go to my room. Before I can open the door to the corridor, he grabs my arm, paying attention to not hurt me.  
«Ok, I'll give you some answers. Let's take a walk, our conversation should be intimate.»  
He remembers me of my family and I can help but beam, daydreaming.  
«Don't worry, I know how to deal with your parents and Nora.» He says with a smirk.  
 _How do you know the name of my sister? Did you read my mind?_ «Good.» I grab the handle of the bedroom door.  
«Wait.»  
«What? You realized you can't bear my parents' look when they'll see us together?»  
«No, but I suggest you to wear some clothes, they could think we fucked.» He says coldly, then winking at me with a smile when he notices I'm blushing.  
«Turn, please.» He does it without hesitation, wearing a white t-shirt and a modern black coat. I wear only a simple white shirt and leggings, Mikael never looks at me and I don't know if I'm happy about it or disappointed. The inner me tells me I'm dirty and I start feeling this way, realizing I want so bad his eyes on me. «You can watch me, now.»  
He turns and his eyes ignore my hard nipples under my tight-fitting, half-transparent shirt. He raises his arm and I put mine on it, trying to smile and repeating in my mind that I'm just an innocent girl in need of attentions, not a whore.  
We enter the dining room. Nora, Shawn and mom and dad are whispering at the table. Before I can hear any words, Nora sees me and notify everyone of my arrival with a quick move of her hand. All the eyes are on me and my anxiety wakes up, but Mikael saves me.  
He puts his hands on my shoulders. «Now that she's here, we can introduce ourselves. I'm Mikael, a friend of Katrina.» Everyone at the table says his name and Nora looks him wide-eyed. I think now she's the one to believe she has hallucinations. I can't help but giggle, but my amusement gives way to concern when I see my parents' angry faces.  
«We take a walk. I'll take Katrina home in an hour, see you soon!» He says, taking my hand.  
Obviously, my mother doesn't hesitate a second to stop us, standing in front of me with her hands on her hips. «Katrina can't go out of her room, it's her punishment for escaping home. And you can't stay with her, I told you to come in just for a greeting.» My mother's words are severe. I'm worried for her, I can sense Mikael's anger and I caress his arm to calm him a little, feeling my sister's jealous eyes on us.  
«I know, I heard you.» He answers, then he walks past her, taking me with him by my hand.  
«What are you doing?»  
«I'm going out with Katrina. We are twenty and twenty-five, we can make our own decisions and if they are wrong we will pay for it. We don't need a manager, thank you.»  
«Go out of my house! You are so disrespectful, my daughter won't stay with a monster like you»  
As she says the word "monster", Mikael turns and glares at her, getting close to her face. Shawn and dad raise and comes behind my mom. They are so little near Mikael. «Don't dare to call me a monster. You are the one that gave me orders, insulted me and ruined your daughter's life.» He growls.  
«You don't know our daughter!» My father shouts.  
«Trust me, she opened with me in a night more than she ever did with you in twenty years.» He says without screaming as my father did. Dad takes a step away from him with a worried expression.  
«You're lying, she barely talks with her bestie.» Nora says, folding her arms over her chest.  
«She didn't need to talk, trust me.» He spits, leaving everyone speechless. «Let's go, love.» He says, giving me his hand.  
I look at my parents. I can't see concern or sadness on their faces while they stare at me, just anger. This makes me almost cry. I take a long, deep breath and I take Mikael's hand.  
«Come here, Katrina!» Mom orders.  
«Don't dare to give her orders, never again.» Mikael says, moving me behind his body that covers mine almost totally.  
I see my mother's eyes become lucid, but this time she can't fool me. She's faking. «If you open that door, you won't be welcome in this home anymore.»  
«This never been my home.» I say, disgusted by her decision.  
I turn away from her shocked face and I walk out of my nightmare.

I keep making specific questions, but his answers are all the same: I can't explain this, you wouldn't understand, it's too hard to say it, my answer could hurt you. Insisting will make him angry and I don't wanna fight with my love, a killer... but he accepted to give me an explanation and now I want it.  
«What did you do to me? What will change in my life? I wanna be prepared.»  
«I can control you because I bound you to my world. Your life won't change, you won't change unless you want it. Anyway, you'll conduct a human life, there's nothing you should be prepared for.»  
«I know you don't want to tell me what kind of world is it, but is there something general you can say about it?»  
«The darkness you saw in my eyes: that is the other world. Paranormal, scary, bad. As long as you'll stay with me, I'm the only creature of the other realm you will see and I will be your only fear, love and secret.»  
«Have I ever see something of your world?»  
He chuckles. «Yes, but as I told you, you can't see the light until you meet the darkness. At my party, you were the only human, surrounded by the three groups of the most influent creatures of the other world, but you couldn't know this.»  
«Wait, the other world is this world? Nothing mystical?»  
«Who said this world is not magical? You just can't see that side of it.»  
I have many questions, but I can sense Mikael is getting nervous. «One last question. What kind of creatures are you talking about?»  
«Witches. Werewolves. Vampires. Many others.»  
I burst out laughing. As I see his angry gaze, I immediately make a straight face. «I'm sorry, I taught you were kidding. It's hard to believe in your words.»  
«I know. I don't want you to believe me, everything will be easier if you don't know who I am.»  
«Yea, probably you're right. I'm starting to think we are both crazy.»  
«We're not, trust me.»  
«Listen, I can believe your eyes are totally black and for some reason you are stronger than an average human, but not that creature like the ones I see in tv shows live on the earth unnoticed.»  
«Perfect, that's what I want.»  
I shake my head, incredulous. «I can bear your mysteries, not your lies.»  
He stops, sitting on a bench under a big tree. «I was right. I shouldn't have said anything about my world to you.»  
«I didn't mean that. I apologize, I will try to believe you.»  
«You better not. If you discover the truth on my nature, I will become your worst nightmare.»  
I open my mouth, but the voice I hear isn't mine.  
«I couldn't give you a warm greeting before, can we start again?» Nora sits way too close to him on the bench, crossing her legs slowly with a little growing smile.  
Mikael glances at her and her friends that drool over him, then he stands up and walks away. I and my sister stare at each other wide-eyed. He's evidently not the type to disrespect a woman like this. As he calls my name, Nora's shocked look becomes an angry gaze. I can't help but smile and walk fast behind him, hugging his big arm and rubbing my cheek against his elegant coat like a purring kitty. Surprisingly he doesn't push me away and this makes me feel even better.  
«Wait!» I hear my sister swearing, trying to walk on Flint's broken sidewalks. Thank goodness I choose to put my old ballerinas on to show Mikael I'm not the sexy diva he saw at the party. «Give me a chance, come on! You don't even know me. There are many assholes that can guarantee you I'm the best at blowjobs!» She screams in the quiet path of the park. I laugh, unable to hold it anymore.  
«Is she always like this?» Mikael asks, not even annoyed by her pitiful scene.  
«No, usually it's quite the reverse.»  
«I would never want the heart of a woman of easy virtue.»  
I shake my head, smiling. «Here we go again.»  
He looks at me with a confused expression. «What are you talking about?»  
«You dumped my sister and you're still noble. From a monster to the King in an instant.»  
«I never switch, I'm both, you know.» He smiles, but his eyes run on my body with indecision.  
«What are you thinking about?» I ask, leaning my head on his arm, now cold. Feeling his muscles tensing, I immediately raise my head and take a step away from his vital space. «Relax.» I dare to whisper.  
After a long, frustrating silence, he talks to me. «Do you like it?»  
I look at him and I feel he never stopped looking at me until I raised my head. «What?» I ask in a shy tone.  
«Do you like physical contact?»  
«Who doesn't?»  
«Do you?» He asks, his tone suggesting me he's losing it already.  
«I...» _I don't have enough experience to know if I like it_. «I don't have enough experience to know if I like it.» I open my mouth in shock. I let out a cry running my hands in my hair. «I won't ask you why the hell I tell you whatever comes to my mind, but whichever is the reason I want you to stop controlling me like this.»  
«The reason is you feel good with me and you trust me. Simple as that, I'm not controlling you.»  
I'm ready to oppose, but his arms wrapping around my shoulders pushes my words back. He's cold and his skin is cadaveric, his grip scares me and makes me feel home; I close my eyes and put my head on his chest, loving it. I would like to get rid of those clothes separating us and feel his skin on mine getting warmer. I take his hand to feel it real.  
«Hey! Wait!» Nora screams, running towards us. I pretend not to hear her shrieky voice and the dangerously high heels of the fat asses following her. «Stop!» She keeps going.  
The sound of wheels scratching the concrete makes me jump far enough to let the car stop at a few inches from me. I look down, my heart exploding in my chest. «I was on the crosswalk!» I shudder in panic.  
The laughs coming from the car confuses me, I hear them clearly when the driver wind down the windows. He puts his arm out the car, then his head. _Royce_.  
«Look who's here!» The car gets closer and I fall. _Where is..._  
«Any problem here?» Mikael helps me up and his hand places on my hip, his eyes narrow and Roy's smile becomes a grimace of anger for a few seconds.  
«Yea. The fat ass of your little bitch almost broke my car.»  
«Your car isn't more important than Katrina's life, sir. Show her some respect, she's a strong, beautiful woman and she deserves it.» He says, politely. I can sense his anger behind his noble words, the monster is going to come out soon and since he's a mystery for me I won't be able to stop him. But I'll try.  
«Jesus Christ, did you came out from an episode of Downton Abbey?» Everyone laughs, the two guys in the red Coupé with Roy and Nora's friends. As Mikael moves his arm, I instantly put mine on his, my heart beating so hard I can feel it in my chest. I feel stupid since we're too far from Roy to hurt him and Mikael just raised his arm to pose it in front of his chest in an elegant way, but at the same time my emotions don't let me relax and release his arm, so I start to caress him to calm both. He grabs my trembling hand, standing in front of me to divide us from the bullies. They sound the horn and we both ignore it, absorbed by ourselves.  
«Don't worry, I can handle them easily.»  
«I know. I just don't want anyone to be harmed.»  
«I won't. They will.»  
«No. Please, don't be violent.»  
He gives me a confused gaze. «You don't have to watch if you don't like violence.»  
«I don't want this to happen. I don't wanna see, hear, feel and know this 'cause you should stop getting mad and nobody here, now, should die today. No one deserves it.» I cry out, searching for comfort in the danger, his arms that hugs my little, unperfect body tight.  
«In this world we need both the bad and the good. You're in the bad part of it now, and you're a good girl, that's why you should turn and let me be myself.»  
«No! The bad should be stopped. We have rules...»  
«I have my rules too and they are different from yours. You should accept the bad and live your life, nature can't be stopped or changed and if you try you have a big chance to end up in your worst nightmare. Ignore the blood around you, you can if it's not on you, and you can do it as long as you're with me. If you would cry over every innocent dead corp you would end your tears before you can do it for them all. Katrina...» The horn brutally interrupts him and makes my heart jump. «Don't try to stop me or the blood will end up on you too. Let me be myself without regret it.»  
«Are you telling her goodbye? If you won't move she's not the only one I'll knock down with my lady.» Roy taps the car's door.  
I beg with my eyes Mikael to ignore them and run away with me one more time, but he gives me a slow kiss on my forehead and turns to walk near Royce's door.  
«You won't run over anyone.»  
Royce leans out of the window, his grin disappeared. «You were right, uh? We have a problem here.»  
«Seems we do.»  
It happens all so fast my mind doesn't have time to realize what's happening and make me turn. Mikael throws out the car Roy by the neck and pushes his elegant shoe on his chest as he screams in pain. The other two idiots get out of the coupé and as one runs behind the car to reach the others, the one that came out on our side gets a fast and strong punch on his jaw. I hear the clear, loud sound of his bones breaking, his jaw moves right and stays right as a big cut opens on the left part of his face and his smile becomes bigger and bloodier. The guy takes two steps back to keep the balance, then he falls, his eyes emotionless and his jaw jumping like it's not part of his body anymore when his still turned head hits the ground. All my body is shaking hard and my legs seem jelly, I need to look away, so I raise my head and I see the terrorized gaze of the last guy, his eyes glued to the dead-like body of his friend.  
I'm frozen. Mikael was right, I should have turned. He's always right and wrong at the same time, all I can do is decide to trust him or run away from his business and I think I already made my choice more times. But not this one, I can't let him destroy my city and every person in it, I don't care about his rules and his behavior problems. As soon as I see him strides to the poor guy, I call his name in a shriek. He turns and I'm shocked to notice he's not angry. He's… _amused, happy_. He wasn't lying, he likes hurting people, he's a King that can't wait to fight for his loves and his allies. It's so good and so bad I can't decide if he's evil or just right.  
The guy runs away and Mikael releases also Royce, walking to me with a proud smile. «Did you like the show?» He asks like he did something romantic.  
Suddenly I remember there are the girls too. They are all frozen, glancing at Nora to see her reaction. She looks at me, the girls and the (I hope not) dead guy that stays on the ground with his crooked mouth and his eyes wide opened, then her eyes find Mikael and a smile slowly appears on her face.  
I look at Mikael and I feel an incredible desire to put my lips on his, then I meet the dead guy's eyes. «This is sick.» I spit in a whisper.  
Mikael chuckles. «I didn't hear...»  
«This is sick!» I burst out, laughing, feeling some warm tears running on my cheeks. «You are mad. I'm out of my mind.»  
«Perfect, we will be great together!» He says, but neither I nor him laugh.  
«No. How can I like you? We shouldn't be together.»  
«How can you like me?» He asks, incredulous. «I'm strong, powerful, rich and handsome. Let's go home, we need to talk.» He takes me by the arm, but I step away from him and he releases me.  
«No.» I say, looking right in his confused and angry eyes. «We don't... I don't need to talk to you, I need to... think.»  
«Katrina...» He takes a step towards me and I take two away from him.  
«Alone.» I clarify.  
He stays there, waiting. Images of me and him try to become my reality, but I remember the power of the ring he gave me and I take it off, immediately coming back to reality. Now, all I feel is disgust, anger and fear towards the monster in front of me and I don't try to hide it. He's something I want to forget and I want him to know this.  
I put the ring in my pocket, I turn and I walk home. The only home where I feel happy and loved.


	10. Chapter 9

I knock the door. Gabi opens it with her eyes closed.  
«Come in, Kitty. I'll take you a pajama.» She staggers back in the home and I follow her, trying not to collide with her that walks slower than the hamster in her brain now.  
«It's morning.» I remember her.  
«Yea, whatever.»  
I sit at her long wooden table, the glass top making it fancy to reflect its owner.  
«I need to talk to you.» I say, my headache bumps in sharp twinges of pain as I think at what happened just an hour ago. Since I left Mikael I've been out of my mind, dominated by the fear. I got lost in the city I lived for twenty years and when I found Gabi's house and my lucidity a terrible headache stole my consciousness again. Luckily now I'm safe. It's not so important if I'm not, I just wanna feel at home enough time to calm down.  
After some minutes, Gabi throw me an aspirin and I accept it, ignoring my brain screaming it's better to take medicine only if it's necessary.  
«Ok. Let me drink a coffee, maybe I'll start to understand some of your words in the next few hours.» Gabi takes a big mug and another sharp twinge of pain bursts in my head as I see the writing "Las Vegas" on it. «So, what's the matter?»  
«Do you remember Mikael, the guy I met on our stupid holiday in Las Vegas?»  
«Don't tell me you're still thinking about him, he probably forgot you already.»  
«It would be great, but I don't think so. He's here, in Flint.»  
She spits the coffee. «What the...?!»  
«He also entered my home. My bedroom and my bathroom, to be clear.»  
«And you didn't call me?»  
«We discussed.» I rage to shut her for a second. Obviously it doesn't work, she can't help it, talking it's her art and you can't stop an artist making his art.  
«Oh shit. You have to hide? I can keep you here for some days.»  
«Well, I don't wanna hide, but I have to make him go far away from Flint, from me.»  
«Ok.» She says with nonchalance. But I know she wants to know more and I know I need to talk about Mikael with someone I trust.  
«He's... special.» I state, confused.  
«Be more specific.»  
«He's...» _Come on, I can do this. She's my best friend, she won't send me to a psychiatric hospital. She'll call me crazy, fake we don't know each other from the elementary school when we're out, but she'll stay my crazy bestie, always ready to love me and help me, crying with me and raising me up when I fall, and sometimes laugh at me to make me stronger_. «He's stronger than an average human. Don't ask me why I'm sure of it.» I hold the tears when the dead John pops up in my mind. Gabi should have noticed my pain, 'cause she doesn't comment. «He acts like the devil, punishing bad people, but he's worse than his victims. He's not just a rich nobleman, he's a king, a monster, and he has power over many people. Before we left Las Vegas, he gave me a ring, a present that turned out to be a trap, a means to control me.»  
«You know what's sure? He fucked up your mind.» Her eyes run on me, curling up her upper lip. She looks like she's watching an alien that she doesn't like.  
«I know it's hard to believe. Please, just listen to me and try to convince yourself I'm telling you something totally normal.»  
«Oh, no, I don't need it. My whole life is crazy as fuck, I don't mind listening to your shits out of this world.» She shrugs, leaning on the table with her damn mug from Las Vegas. Her expression changes fast from weirded out to bored.  
I take a sigh of relief, or anxiety, I'm not sure. «He asked me to accept his nature. I believe his nature is his mysteries, his aggressive behavior and his violent vision of love that I still can't understand. I think I can't bear it anyway, as I can't stand to be controlled by the ring he gave me. I'm not myself when I wear it.»  
«Is the ring a metaphor of something?»  
«No!» I throw the ring on the table, exasperated. Gabi examinates it carefully with her perfect porcelain-like hands. «With this ring he bound me to his world and him, but... I feel something for him also without it.» I admit, running a hand through my hair, looking down at the table.  
«Sure you do! This wonderful ring is an excuse to deny you love him and his nature is bullshit to force you to accept he's an asshole and he can do whatever he wants. Wake up! Stop hiding your fears and face the truth. Tell him you deserve a better man and you'll find it if he doesn't stop being rude and violent, if he's really attracted by you he will change.»  
«But...»  
«And don't blame a ring for you being in love with...» She looks at the rooftop, her mouth open.  
I puff. «Mikael!»  
«Yea, him.» She states, hand on hip.  
I gesticulate nervously, trying to find the words. «I don't want him to be someone else to please me. I don't even want to love a monster.»  
«Girl, be clear. What do you want: love him or leave him?»  
 _Love him, it seems he came out from an X movie! Leave him before he decides you'll be the next victim. What if you broke is black heart and he takes his revenge?_ My heart craves for his love and my mind begs me to run away from him.  
«I don't know.» I say hanging my head, hands in hair.  
«Ok, break your thoughts down. Why do you love him and why do you hate him?»  
 _This is the hardest question you could ever do, thanks Gabi_. I give her a smile that reflects the words in my head and she rolls her eyes. «He's bad and it makes me feel good. I'm the only one he pays attention to and be nice with, he makes me feel a queen, his queen. But he also hurt me and this makes me hate him, until I see the pleasure in his eyes. The joy he finds in pain scares me, but his happiness is mine and if my tears can make him smile...»  
«Don't dare to end this sentence.» She hushes me moving a finger in the air. «This isn't love. A sane human feels happy when he sees his partner smiling, not crying.»  
«Yea, a human. He's something else and he's amazing if you can catch the light in the darkness. I kissed him in Las Vegas, if someone was asleep the energy created by the union of our lips woken everyone, 'cause everyone should have felt that.» I do my best to ignore Gabi yawning. «His black tear burned my hand, but I could only feel the colored fireworks in my stomach closing my eyes and keep kissing him.» I get out of my dreams and I shrug, stealing a sip of Gabi's coffee. «I felt so good I can't bear my stupid life anymore. Now I know what I could have and it's thanks to him. If I will have it, it's because he wants me to have it, he's the only one he can give it to me.»  
«You talk like a total virgin.»  
«I kissed some guys, but I never felt what his lips gave me that night in my whole life.»  
«Ok, I think I have a solution. Since I don't consider his stupid behavior a big problem and I don't believe in black tears and super strong humans, I think you have to introduce him to me so I'll give you a sincere opinion.»  
I nod.  
«What time is it?»  
I check the clock. «It's...»  
«It's time for shopping!» She shakes her fists with a big grin. Before I can realize what's happening, she takes me by the arm and she pulls me out of home as I try to keep the balance.

«Muah!» She sends me a kiss and I roll my eyes, watching the short dress as his paillettes scratch my skin.  
«Why do you want me to wear a cocktail dress? I already told you he won't care about the outfit, he doesn't seem to care about what I am, do, wear or think at all. He just wants me to love him, it's all about him now.»  
«Shut up and turn, I want to see if your back is exposed enough.» I obey, rolling my eyes as soon as she can't see them anymore. Then I see Royce.  
«Oh my god.» I whisper.  
«What?» I hear Gabi's breath on my neck as she looks over my shoulder. «Jesus Christ, is it Royce?» She's not afraid of him as me, it takes me some minutes to understand what she sees. Mikael left some big marks on his body.  
Suddenly our eyes meet and widened. I take a step back, treading on Gabi's feet and falling on her. I feel the paillettes trying to cut my skin, but I can't move. Royce keeps watching me as the cashier hand him his bags. When he has them all, he runs at the exit, but the automatic glass door doesn't open in time and he shatters it, throwing himself out the shop. Everyone hurry to see what happened, but before they can reach him he stands up and runs away. A wide smile slowly opens on my face.  
«What the fuck?» Gabi swears, pushing me off of her.  
«Yesterday Mikael beat his ass. That's why we discussed.»  
Gabi gives me a disgusted and shocked look. «Everytime you say something about Mikael I feel more on his side. He became your knight and you got angry? Anyway, you'll need a better dress to make him forget you. Come.» She takes my hand, but I stay on the cold floor, hypnotized by the ice blue dress right in front of me, on a stylish dummy. «Don't tell me you like that. You can't walk in Flint wearing a Disney princess dress.»  
I sprint to it with my hands straight forward. The sleeves, tight on the arm and large and decorated at the end, are lighter and thinner as the shirt under the shining blue bodice on it. The cloak is made of the sleeves sophisticated material, so long it touches the floor, forming a kite shape with his point, like the end of the sleeves. The skirt is long to the ankles and it's lighter than the bodice and darker than the cloak. I hug the majestic dummy.  
«Do you like it, ma'am?» I turn to the assistant and I nod smiling so hard my fat cheeks hurt and almost force my eyes to close. «Good. It's 1.500.000$.» She says with a smile.  
«It's not the right dress, sorry miss shop assistant. Come on Cat, let's move on.» Gabi gives me a _move your ass or I'll kill you_ smile. I would obey, but I'm too fascinated by this dress, my brain is off.  
«I want it, Gabriela.» I turn to my dream and caress the cloth. How can an elegant shining dress be so soft and comfortable?  
«No, you don't!» She snarls.  
«Yes, she does.» I don't recognize the voice immediately, but as I feel inferior to the speaker I realize who just defended me.  
«Diana.» I whisper, turning to her superior gaze.  
«Katrina. It's nice to see you.» She says, paying the dress.  
None of the three of us speak a word until we're out of the shop. Gabi can't resist to mind other people's businesses. «Can you at least introduce yourself?»  
Diana's body is always tensed as she tries to move in elegant, not so natural ways, so I can't really understand if she's pissed of. «I'm Diana Strain, Mr. Blake's... assistant.» She finds it hard to say the last word, a little bit of anger slips out of her perfect, red matte mouth. Her lipstick's color is darker than mine, it's enough to make me feel a joker kid compared with her. I hung my head. «I found out you want to meet Mikael. He's disposed to dine with you this evening.»  
Gabi nods with enthusiasm, but I hesitate and two joyful eyes and two superior ones move on me.  
«I'm sorry, I can't. I'm not ready, I still need time.»  
Gabi opens her mouth, but Diana talks first. «It's ok, take your time.»  
Gabi grits her teeth, but she holds the insults popping in her mind probably to prove she can be elegant too. She can't be polite for other reasons.  
We walk home, Diana carries the shopping bag like a personal shopper without enthusiasm. No one talks until Diana leaves the bag on the table at home and walks away without a word, then Gabi starts bubbling about _the bitch_ that found the dining room to put the bag on it with impossible ease, like she already saw her home a thousand times.

I missed spending some time with my bestie. Our pajama party has been a success: we watched a horror movie and she laughed at me while I screamed, hiding behind the pillow with which I beat her later, until tiredness won over us.  
I would like to sleep all morning, but when Gabi sprayed whipped cream in my open mouth I understood we would have to go to the history course.  
My classmates already put the music on, like the din of the students chatting loud in the corridor isn't enough to set my head on fire. My face contorts in pain.  
«The teacher is absent!» A girl screams at the door, jumping like a child.  
The students go crazy, but a deep, severe voice hushes them. «Good morning. I'm your history supply.»  
Everyone sits down and the chatting gets little to silence. The pain slowly fades away as the voices give way to the sound of papers.  
«He's the sexiest man I've ever seen.» Gabi whispers in my hear, shaking my arm. «Do you think he's in his forty? I would say he's between twenty and forty years old, this guy has no age!»  
«Do you have the history book? I have it at my parents' home.»  
«I have never seen a lighter shade of eye color than his. They are so light I can see they are grey from the last desk, they're wicked, inhuman.»  
I raise my head instantly and I see him, his hungry eyes on me.  
«I would definitely spend the day in a dirty bathroom with him.»  
«Gabi.» I put my trembling hand on her arm.  
«There's something intimidating in him. Anyway, whoever refuses him just because he's dominant is a fucking idiot.»  
«Gabi!» I whisper a little bit louder.  
«What?!» She covers her mouth when she realized she talked too loud.  
«He's Mikael.» I whimper, observing her eyes widening.  
«Today we'll study vampires. What they are, what they do, where they live, how they are born. If they are magical creatures of a better version of humans, if they are bad or good.» Mikael walks among the sixty eyes on him, his steps slow but determined, waving a piece of chalk.  
«We're here to study history, not fantasy stories.» A guy says, making my heart jump in my chest. Luckily Mikael doesn't even turn to him, but that doesn't calm me down a bit.  
«Maybe some of you already know what a vampire is.» He looks around, forcing everyone to look down with his intimidating air, then he reaches me. «Katrina Dobra, please, stand up and tell your friends what is a vampire.»  
Gabi looks at me wide-eyed. I'm not sure what's rolling in my mind, but when I can't understand it there's nothing or too many things. She can't help me now, I have to deal with Mikael by myself.  
I stand up and I start. «Vampires are fictional beings.»  
Mikael scowls at me, curling his upper lip in an expression of disgust mixed with anger. He looks at my finger, free from his blood ring. _You can't control me anymore, monster_.

**Get ready for a verbal fight on vampires! And, since there's Mikael, the fight can't stay verbal for long.**   
**You: I'm bored! You promised me to be dragged in Mikael's hell, but you're just writing about him destroying Katrina's world.**   
**Me: Two chapters to enter Mikael's world. Around five chapters to fall in the hellfire. You're warned: what you're reading now is nothing compared to Mikael's brutality of his vampire personality. There will be also psychological violence.**


	11. Chapter 10

I bravely spit my truth. «Vampires are disgusting monsters with red eyes and pale skin that drinks human blood. They have some sort of superpowers, like reading minds and move fast enough to do their homework the same morning they should deliver it.»

«I think I'm a vampire.» Someone screams among the laughing crowd.

«They live in old castles or stinky caves, it depends on their heritage.»

«Enough.» Mikael says it in a severe tone I never heard from it, his eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. I admit I would shut up, but the nineteenth-century expensive suit on his well-built body makes him the less scary man in the class, and the less I'm afraid, the more I talk with no filters.

«They are born in Italy, a man has been cursed trying to keep his impossible love. She was a princess, he loved her, but he wasn't the only one. The princess was in love with both, but she was promised to a prince. Her mother, a witch obsessed by the society rules, discovered the love she harbored for the two men and punished her cursing them all. I think the princess died.» I say, trying to remember the article I read when I was a teen about it. «Anyway, vampires are magical creatures created to scare people in the good old times and, to answer your last interrogative, they are bad.»

Mikael stands among the students, silent, his eyes staring in mines as he can enter in me. I gulp, taking a step back, tripping and falling on the chair behind me.

Finally he speaks. «You have excellent grades in history, are you sick today?» He asks, 'causing a little laugh in the class. Before I can stammer out an answer, he keeps talking. «Vampires are creatures made by an unexplainable force of nature which is beyond human perception, a force that they can use, like werewolves, witches and other creatures.»

«Sir, I'm here to study history, not your crazy bullshits!»

Mikael ignores the poor guy. «Their eyes are totally black, they are usually well-built since they are predators, they have amplified senses, that's why it's better to not be afraid of them. They can feel your fear and their first instinct will be to tear your throat. Blood is their favorite drink, but when they are sad they rather drink beer.» The class laughs at his words. _Is he trying to turn everyone against me?_

«Stop lying, Mikael. It's not funny.»

«Do you always talk like this to your teachers?» Everyone shakes their head except a guy wearing a hat and large-sized clothes, obviously not interested in losers' things like sexy fictional characters.

He stands up. «I don't wanna listen to these bullshits anymore. We should have started the Victorian Era today.»

Mikael puts his hands on my desk, looking me in the eyes and I push myself against the chair, sinking down.

«You were right about how _they_ are born. You were right: _they_ are bad. You better be glad if one puts his eyes on you, 'cause if you push him away you'll regret it forever.» He growls in my face, his lips curled up and his eyes narrowed as he comes closer. I'm tempted to take the scissors and put them between us, just to feel protected also if I'm not, but this would be a stupid move, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't hesitate to use them against me now.

«When will you talk about the Victorian Era?»

Mikael turns, growling. «One of my favorite ones, the society was built on respect and elegance, what you don't have today.»

«Sorry sir, not everyone is gay.» The class laughs and Mikael chuckles too. It happens so fast I only see the scissors in the wall at a few inches from the stupid guy's scared face. He stays still while Mikael goes back to his desk. He's sitting down at the desk, but something stops him. Suddenly he raises, catching a flying marker. His eyes observe it, then find the guilty in a shot.

Seeing he's losing it, I walk to him, distracting him with the noise of my chair ruining the dirty floor. I ignore all the eyes on me, blushing and walking straight to my man. I put my hands on his chest, raising on my tiptoes to bring my lips close to his ear. I know he would hear me whispering his name from the last table, I just need to be sure nobody else will.

«Please, don't hurt anyone. If you don't, I'll forget you for what you've done to Royce and his friends.»

«Forget me?» He scoffs. «Did I sound sorry for that?»

I take some distance, confused. «Aren't you? You almost killed a guy with a punch and his fault was trying to help his friend.»

«You're too pure to understand...»

«No, I understand.» I put my hands in my hair, breaking the contact with him, the energy between us dissolves. «You just want to hurt me. Scare me. You told me to run away from you. If your goal was pushing me away, you did it.»

«What the fuck are you talking about.» He yells in my face.

A warm tear shows him I'm right. «I'm telling the truth you're trying to hide. You're not unable to love, you're not completely a monster, you are afraid of love and you're doing everything to push me away.»

«I saved your life fighting three men and you're telling me I'm weak.»

«Wait, you thought to steal my heart beating the bullies? We're not in the Victorian Era, demonstrate you're strong doesn't guarantee you love.»

«I'm sorry you're not able to appreciate my vision of love.»

«Your vision of love is sick. It's all about violence to your eyes. That light I saw in them... it fooled me.» I hear him taking air in his lungs fast. «There's nothing good in you. You crave power 'cause it's the only thing you can have and manage easily thanks to your strength, you're a King afraid to find his Queen because you know you can't control her as you do with your people.»

«I think you're confused. Am I a monster or not? Can I love and be loved? You can't know this, Katrina. All you should ask yourself is: do I love him? Just this.» He says, emotionless.

«I can't love you until I don't know who the hell you are.»

The provocative guy stands up to talk again. «Now we know why Katrina has excellent grades. How many teachers have you fucked?» Before the class can start laughing, Mikael breaks his stupid grin.

The desk flies out the window with two students and everybody screams in panic, except me. I'm the only hope to save everyone, I've no time to be shocked, I repeat it to myself as I try to find Mikael. I'm pushed against the wall, everyone is crying and running, some students jump out of the window, some tries to break down the door that is unexplainable closed. Meanwhile, I see something black speeding on a girl. _Mikael_.

«Mikael! Please, stop!» I reach him, colliding with the students running to the door. I take him by the arm. «Mikael, listen to me.» Taking his arm back fast, he throws me on the wall and I fall on the floor, a sharp pain in my leg clouding my mind for some seconds. I think it's broken, I can't even move it and I surely can't help anyone like this. But I can open the door. I crawl among the students that step on me, luckily not on the broken leg. When I can touch the wooden door, I turn to sit down, panting.

«Diana!» The door opens as soon as I scream her name.

Before I can turn and crawl out of this bloody hell, someone kicks me on the head, making me fall. As I try to raise up, other shoes crush my body and my vision slowly fades in black.

A white ceiling and someone muttering are all I can see and hear. I close and open my eyes continuously to wake up, then I raise up. Diana is sitting on the edge of the white bad, wearing a nurse suit.

«Where...»

«Shush, I'll get you out of here. Tell them you remember you were the first to be hit and you fainted before you could see anything.» She walks away, impressing me once again with her elegant walk. I follow her straight back and her hips waving, seeing in my mind also her chest puffing out to complete her majestic figure. With some make-up and a big neckline she would be the perfect sexy nurse boys fantasize about. While she exits the hospital room, two policemen enter, observing me with a frown on their scary faces. One is a human donut, the other is a toothpick with a blonde snack on his point.

The donut starts with the questions. «Were you in the class when the tragedy happened?»

«Good morning to you too.» I say, too nervous to hold it. «Yes, I was there.»

«Have you seen what happened?»

I act the script. «I'm sorry, I've been the first to be hit and...»

«Have you a vague idea of which kind of animal was in the class? Was it just one?»

We stare at each other and I'm not sure who's the most confused. «I don't know. How did you understand that was an animal attack?»

The two look at each other, then the thin one hands me a pic. My emotions go off as a tear caresses my soft cheek.

My classmates, my friends, are all dead. I can see are their body parts covered in blood around the class, their heads are on their desks, all turned to the end of the class. On the blackboard there's a sentence written with blood: _I don't need to love to be loved._

I give the picture back, my hand trembling like a leaf. «It wasn't an animal, it was a beast.»

I knock at the door. Mom opens still in tears, a hand on her mouth.

«I'm sor...»

«Don't say that.» She traps me in a tight hug and I smile, letting the tears flow. I shiver. «It's cold, come in dear.» She takes my hand. I made a big mistake leaving home, and I think I'm going to make another inevitable one, I can't tell her why my body is shaking in fear.

The Internet isn't helping as I thought, the few articles I found are about his family and his business. I keep searching: _Mikael Blake, Vampire's Blood Ring, Real Vampires caught on camera..._ I can't find the answers I need and this makes me feel worst than when I started searching to guarantee myself he's not really a danger for me. Everything screams he is a monster and he will take my life, louder and louder.

I click on another stupid article about _The New Blake's Painting_. I read some words about the painting he made for his family, then I finally find something useful. I raise on the chair and I read:

_“...he created the ring with his blood. - This is an eternal union promise.- He says. - The woman I'll give this ring to, can dominate my world as I do. This jewelry will give her everything she ever wanted and give her to me. Her heart and her mind will be mines, under my control... -”_

_He controlled me. That's why I've never been afraid of him. But... when we are far, I feel empty, with and without the ring. Why did he choose me among all the wonderful girls at his party? I'm not special, just a good girl, the embarrassingly clumsy type that spends her time helping the others without expecting a return, easily analyze people thanks to her sensitiveness at the point of being creepy and wait for the prince the destiny chose to save her from this evil world._

«He's mine.»

I close fast the PC, turning on my desk chair. Nora is leaned on the opened door side, looking at me with narrowed eyes.

«Are you deaf?» She raises her voice enough to make me feel her anger and not be heard by mom and dad.

«No.» I say. I take the ring from my pocket, thinking about when I faced her. _It's your fault, isn't it?_ «He's yours.» I throw the ring to her and she gives me a triumphant smirk, walking away.

I lay on my bed and I close my eyes, enjoying the new satisfying sensation that possesses my body: _freedom_.

I rub my eyes, listening to the relaxing sound of cars and rain. It feels so good to lay under the blanket when everyone is running to go to work outside in the cold, grey morning. When I was a little girl, my classmates were fantasizing about being rich and famous; meanwhile, I was going in my mom's working space to go home with her and everytime I walked to it I stopped to observe a restaurant. I had my trolley and an umbrella that kept moving on my shoulder, it was too big for a seven year old girl and the wind and the rain were stronger than me, but I could bear anything to see those warm lights and enter in the other world, I was tired of my grey one. In that place there were always many happy families and friends, their chatting was clearly full of joy and it always made me smile. That's what I was fantasizing about: a warm place, a moment of joy and people that I could love and trust.

I raise up, feeling a tear falling from my cheek to my lips. Its salty taste remembers me I never realized my dream. I disappointed the little me. I can hear her whispering “ _It doesn't matter, I'm ok. We are ok._ ”

It's 8:30 a.m., I'm still in late for the bar shift. I focus on this to shut my heart beating too hard in my chest. I walk fast to the bathroom, but I stop immediately as a little cream box catches my eye.

It's rectangular, some dark stains ruined it. I take it.

«Ew.» The stains are still wet, I raise my hand and I see the deep red on my fingers. _Its blood_.

The tears blur my vision again as I open the little box and I see it. I put my hand on my mouth, trying to hold the sobs to not be heard by my parents. I recognize the perfect finger on my sister, whiter than the usual, in contrast with her black nail polish. I take the blood ring on it and the note near it and I close the box fast.

Holding the ring, I read the note: “ _Put it on_.”


	12. Chapter 11

«How many times should I tell you, Gabi? A beast entered the class and attacked everyone.» I whisper as loud as I can, my eyes watching around, moving fast.

«I hit my head. That made me lose memory, not intelligence. Maybe there were more wolves.»

«Yea, maybe. Now can you tell me if you saw my sister this morning?»

She yawns while every part of my body moves frantically, waiting for the worst. «So?»

«No. Probably she spent the night at the disco or in a new room with an asshole. Why are you so worried.»

I hung up, biting my tongue to not say the truth out loud. I turn to take the tray with the coffees and I almost crash into my boss, Mr. Brown.

«Oh, Mr. Brown, you scar...»

«You have no discipline, Katrina. You were late this morning, you must do Larry's work, instead you hide to talk with your friend of some gossips.» He scolds me with his raspy voice, his hands behind his back as he puffs his big belly. I hold a laugh, remembering Gabi comparing him with Doc of the seven dwarfs. I cover my smile with a hand: the similarity between the two is evident.

«I'm sorry sir. I always do Larry's work in my shifts, anyway.»

«Well, do more shifts! Punish yourself, and keep helping my son, I see him running all day. He deserved the contract, if you keep working hard you'll have one too.»

«Thanks, sir.» I take the tray, feeling his eyes on me.

When I gave all the coffees to the clients, I come back to the counter to see the new orders.

«Kitty.» I hear Larry's voice behind me.

«Larry. Where are the new orders?»

«Don't worry, I'll take them all.»

«No, please. Let me help you.» I do my best to smile, returning his grin.

«My father scolded you again, didn't he? What an asshole...»

«No, he's right.» I say, but a chuckle gives me away.

«You need a break. A holiday in the bathroom, with me, now.»

I stay still with my mouth open for a long moment, feeling the heat growing in my cheeks, then I shake my head, trying to say something.

«I'm sorry, Larry. I have to work.»

«Kit...»

«Bye.» I take an order, just two glasses of vodka at 9:00 a.m. - _who the hell ordered them?! A suicidal teen or a constantly drunk old man?_ \- , and I walk fast away from Larry.

I finally find the table of this crazy order. «There you go.»

«I would have broken the glass and shove it in his throat.» I shiver as I recognize the deep, determined voice of the fragile and delicate body that can bear a vodka in the morning while talking as the high-class person she is.

«Hush, Diana. Revenge is illegal in this world.» Mikael says, drinking all the vodka in one shot.

I turn to run away and he immediately grabs my arm, his hot hand gives me goosebumps and an emotion I refuse to recognize. Hesitant, I face him.

«What's this sad face? It's all ok.» He teases, his tone clearly ironic.

«I know what you did.»

«Ohw, stop living in the past, Katrina.»

«Leave me alone.» It sounds more like a plea than the angry threat it should seem, but I don't care, I just wanna walk away and forget him forever.

I try to free from his grip moving all my weight to my side, but his arm doesn't move of an inch and his hand tightens the grip as I pull myself.

«Is there any problem here?» Larry narrows his eyes, moving dangerously close to Mikael's face.

My heart skips a beat and I paralyze.

«No, sir. I was just talking with my girlfriend.»

«I don't see any ring on her hand.» As Larry notices it, Mikael glares at me and for some reasons I feel guilty.

«She's my woman.» He repeats slowly and firmly, his jaw clenched.

«Are you, Katrina?» Larry leaves me shocked.

«I-I... No.» I manage to mutter, winning another glare from Mikael. Diana observes us, holding an amused smile.

«Sure, she doesn't, 'cause she loves _me_.» Immediately after saying it, Larry flies on the ground. Mikael punched him, there's blood on his left hand. I hear Mr. Brown yelling to take the attention of the bodyguard smoking out as Mikael pushes his flirty son down with an Oxford on his chest.

Mikael freezes me with an eye. «Stay with me and I won't hurt him.»

Here it is, the monster. Threatening me instead of asking for a second chance.

I get close to him, pouring in his hypnotic grey eyes, feeling his warm breath flying out from his soft lips and caressing mines. «This is what I expected, what stops me from loving you.»

I glance at the confused and scared Larry on the ground, silently challenging Mikael to choose carefully his next move. I'm tired of his aggressive behavior.

He frees Larry, that takes a fast, whistling breath. His arm wraps around my waist, our bodies touch. His dirty hand caresses my face, some blood wet my cheek. All eyes are on us and against every moral principle I feel great, and wet. _Maybe love a monster is good, it brings the hope that they have a heart._

«Forget me.» I whisper.

I see Diana rolling her eyes before turning and walking fast out of this hell. I don't stop when I hear Larry screaming and his bones breaking.

The street is silent, it forces me to think about what impressed my heart and my mind the most in these last few days: Mikael. I love him, I can't deny it. That man gave me emotions I could never even imagine before staying in his big arms, sniffing his wild scent and listening to his deep voice saying words that make me wet. I blush at the thought of him and what he can do to me just staring in my eyes like he can see my soul.

Did he really ever hurt me? I know he likes my pain, but he also proved he wants to protect me from the world 'cause he doesn't want to see me scared. What does he want from him? What do I want from him? As my heart slowly convince me to go back and kiss him, I force myself to remind all the poor people he injured.

«I don't want you to be afraid of me. I'm trying to protect you.» I don't even turn to see who it is, I recognize his british accent and his angry tone in an instant. I want to be angry, but my heart slows down and my fingers move frantically, waiting to mess his curls and touch his soft, warm face.

«You're trying to possess me.» I protest, walking fast to take some distance from him, totally conscious it's useless.

«I want you to be mine.» His whispered words light a flame in me.

«I don't want to be yours.» I lie against my heart.

He grabs my elbows, turning me to him. I don't resist, pouring in his eyes.

«You love me.» He articulates every word, getting close enough to break my crumbling walls.

«I do. I love a heartless monster.»

«A mad King.» He defines. «I could open your chest and make you bleed in pain, but I would never break your heart. Please, Katrina, give me a second chance. Come with me in Las Vegas, I will never let you see me being evil again. I can't change my nature, but I can hide it for you.»

He's offering me more lies. Maybe this is the key to our happiness.

«I forget you, Mikael. But I can't come with you to Las Vegas, I'm sorry. It's the end of us.»

He stares at me blankly, all his muscles tensed. After an infinite silence, he talks. «Your sister is in Italy, I gifted her a long holiday, I thought your life could be better without her.»

My jaw drops. «The finger...»

«It wasn't real. Anyway, I realized you'll never be happy here. Your overprotective parents will always stop you from having fun and share their fears with you, the bullies live in your shadow and you just lost your job. Find another one without accepting to be harassed by your boss will be hard since you don't have a lot of experience.»

I resist crying. «This is my home.»

«You can tell me you want to stay here for whatever reason, but not this bullshit.» He bursts out. «This is your house, not your home.»

I stay silent. He's right, he's my home.

His hands caress my arms before breaking the contact. «I leave at 3:00 a.m., a jet will come to take me in the airport. I hope I'll find you there on time.» He walks away. He turned fast, but I'm almost sure I've seen a bit of sadness in his eyes.

Mom screams at me ignoring my apologies while dad stays still behind her with his arms crossed.

«That was a perfect job, Mr. Brown made us a big favor hiring you and you ruined everything!»

«Mom, I couldn't stop the fight...»

«You lost your job, for what? That idiot of your friend, Mickey.»

His accuse to Mikael makes me angry. «His name's Mikael and he has no faults. Larry kept harassing me since the first time I stepped in his dirty bar, Mikael defended me!»

«Harassing you? Larry is a good guy. That Mikael fucked you up. Oh, I said a bad word, sorry.»

I look at her, observing her covering her mouth, worrying about a bad word after scolding me for being fired for causing a fight in a bar, ignoring my words like you do with kids that can't accept to admit their faults. My parents, the bullies, Larry, Mr. Brown... they are all sick. They are the worst kind of people: not the ones that fake to be nice, not the bad ones, the ones that believe to be good but they are evil and too close-minded to understand they are shattering you day by day. Maybe the best people are the bad ones, 'cause in this world the good ones are all dead.

I stare at the moon rising fast in the deep blue sky. I'm sitting on the bench where Mikael sat after facing my parents, in a little park. I remember him ignoring my sister and I smile a little, but the memory of me laughing at his beliefs when he tried to explain me what I should have accepted makes me feel guilty. Now I know I can bear his nature, my love for him is stronger than my fear of him, but it's too late. I remember his words: _If you discover the truth on my nature, I'll become your worst nightmare._ I don't want the truth anymore. I guess I'm ready to be his woman, but my favorite villain is gone forever. I sigh, closing my eyes, hoping to see him appear in front of me when I'll open them again.

«Where's Nora?» I open my eyes and I see him. _Shawn_. «Have you heard me? Where is she?» He growls in my face.

«She's in Italy. Mikael gifted her a holiday there and I think...»

He punches the bench near my face and I move my shaking fists up to cover my face, bending my knees to my chest.

«I saw you making your boyfriend fight for you. You didn't like Nora, I wonder what you ordered him to do her.»

«I would never hurt Nora.» I murmur, holding the tears.

He takes me by the shirt, near my neck, pushing me on the bench more times. I hit my head, a loud whistle echoes in my ears and I can't hear anything else for some seconds. I grin my teeth in pain, looking at Shawn's mouth moving.

«...don't lie to me! Where is she?» This is the only thing I hear before he punches me and I fall on the ground.

I do my best to speak, but I just make death noises like someone is strangling me as my eyes try to stay open.

«Mikael won't save you this time.» He says with a bad smile on his face, then he kicks my chin and my head flies up, moving all my body on the line. I cough, trying to breathe slowly and stay awake, but he kicks me again in the stomach. When I think I can't do it and I hit the rock bottom, he kicks me again, confirming my thoughts. Everything fades in black.

The wet grass tickles my face. I look around trying to see something in the dark and as I see the bench I remember what happened. It's raining, I fainted in the park after Shawn beat me and I'm still here. I raise up as fast as I can, trying to ignore my blood on the flowers, and I start walking bent forward, a hand on my stomach that is begging me to go to the hospital. Panting and trembling, letting me cry to help me bear the pain, I arrive at Gabi's house in half an hour.

«You need some makeup.» It's the first Gabi's sentence when she sees me wet, injured and scared. Her calm reactions to every type of situations make me feel better. I smile, feeling a sharp twinge of pain in my cheek.

«No, I need to run. Mikael will take a jet to Las Vegas at 3:00 a.m., What time is it?»

«It's 2:54 a.m.»

I stay silent, all my hopes fly away.

«Don't dare to cry. We still have some minutes, you must try to go, Mikael is too sexy to be lost like this.»

«You're telling me that a girl full of bruises and one with a broken leg can run to the airport on time to...»

«Move!» She takes her crutches and grabs me by the arm, jumping out under the rain.

It's 3:35 a.m. when we pass all the checks. We run to the track of Mikael's jet and I call his name with Gabi. A thousand eyes are on us, but I've no time to care about them, I have to find my love.

I scream his name the third time and no one answer. I'm losing the hope fast, I'm in late, but two hands land on my shoulders.

«Mikael?» I hold my breath, waiting to hear his voice.

«Katrina.»

I turn and I hug him. His muscular arms warm my little body in a few seconds.

«You were right, I can't be happy in Flint.» _I can't be happy without you._ «My parents, Larry, the bullies... they're worse than you! Uhm, I mean...»

«Hush, little princess. I want to hear just one thing from you. Are you ready to start your new life with me?»

«I love you» I whisper, pouring in his damned eyes.

He smiles. «If you wouldn't have come, I would have waited all night and more for you.»

I get lost in a deep kiss, his tongue exploring my mouth slowly as I rub my thighs together to hold my hand running in my slip.

«I think I'll leave. Remember to call me sometimes.» Gabi shakes her hand and walks away, her eyes bright.

I know she doesn't like goodbyes, but I can't let her go like this. I run to her and I hug her. I hear her sobbing on my shoulder and I hug her tighter.

«I'll miss you.»

«If you don't call me everyday I'll kill you.» She says, rubbing her wet eyes on my so wet shirt. Leaning on my body to stay up without her crutches, she hands me the dress Diana bought me with a sad smile.

«We have to go.» Mikael takes my hand and I separate from Gabi, that now looks at Mikael with diffidence.

«You don't seem so worried about your injured girlfriend. She got beaten, where were you?»

Mikael looks at my face, caressing the bruise on my cheek. A little tear escapes my eye and wets his hand.

«I'll take care of you.»

«Maybe you can start killing whoever did this to her.» He says indicating my cheek, unaware Mikael can take it literally.

«Don't worry about it.» I say.

«Your friend is right, Shawn needs to pay.» He tells me.

«Wait, how do you know who assaulted her?» Gabi asks, confused like me. I was getting so used to his rule "don't ask what you don't wanna know" that I didn't notice he said his name.

«Were you there?» I ask, too many different thoughts running in my mind.

«I have eyes everywhere.» He says.

«You knew he was beating me? Someone was there and nobody helped me?»

Before I can understand anything, he pulls me by my arm to the jet and I forget what we were talking about as I see his luxury conveyance.


	13. Chapter 12

I see colorful lights under the white clouds dazzling me as I keep staring at them, fascinated by the cities we're flying on.  
«I decorated your room personally.» He says, catching my attention caressing my hand while he drinks his champagne.  
«What color is it? Is the bed a king-size one? I like rolling on the mattress!» I let out a little scream of joy. I conquered my freedom. I wonder if my parents are still waiting at the door after I told them I was leaving and they shouted I will come crawling back to them, they seemed sure I would turn and walk in their open arms anytime soon. _Poor dreamers_.  
«You'll see it when we'll arrive.» He smirks, giving me a little kiss on my head.  
Suddenly the memory of his hand running up on my tight pops up in my mind and all the enthusiasm fades away in an instant. Mikael seems to notice my change immediately.  
«Is everything ok, little princess?»  
«Why did you let him beat me?» I ask firmly, staring in his grey eyes. I notice his black pupils expanding like an oil stain. «You liked it.»  
«I needed you to understand it's great to have a strong, powerful man at your side. And yes, I liked it.»  
«You should have stopped him.»  
«You wanted me to beat him? It seems everytime I hurt a pathetic bastard you go mad.»  
«You could have just stopped him, blocking him someway, without hurting him.»  
«I preferred to enjoy the moment. You had a choice too. You choose to sacrifice yourself for letting him live.»  
«I didn't choose anything, I just got beaten.»  
«I wanted to see some blood. You or him. You choose to save him, 'cause you don't want me to use violence to stop violence and I don't want to stop violence without using violence. It's boring.»  
I sigh, not even surprised by his answer. «Will you keep hurting me?»  
«Only for my pleasure, and to teach you what's wrong and what's good. What I like and don't like.»  
The question tormenting me finally comes out loud. «Why me?»  
He looks at me with concentration. «Your love is the only pure one I can let in fearlessly.»  
His words leave me speechless. I wouldn't be able to think or feel anything like that although I'm a deep person.  
«You don't give a damn about all I have, you only care about me.» He says, raising his arm as an invite to put my head on his chest. I happily do it and he wraps my little body with his giant arm, caressing my belly. «You are sensitive, pure, delicate; an angelic white flower lightning in the darkness. I will never let you go.»  
«What makes me special to your eyes? There are many lighting flowers in the world.»  
«They just reflect the moonlight to illude people they are beautiful like you. You have a talent, Katrina: you can love. It's rare, trust me. I met many women in my life and they were all evil liars in beautiful dresses.»  
I listen to his words, feeling a bit of sadness and anger in them. All the frustration on his defined face disappears as his mind comes back in the airplane, leaving the memories to stay with me.  
He smiles. «I found a diamond. Are you sure you can bear me? I'm worse than you think.»  
I don't know if it's good or bad that I can't imagine something worse of what he already did, but this makes my fear slowly go away. «Bring it!» I grin and he chuckles, shaking his head, his fluffy curls jumping around right and left in a cute way. It would be everything perfect if I could hear his heartbeat, but my ear on his chest doesn't hear nor feel anything but the air going in and out his lungs. This is weird, but he's alive, so I assume it's everything ok and his heart is just beating too slow and calmly to be heard without an instrument.  
I break the magical silence. «Don't you need a bodyguard? All rich people have one.»  
«I'm my own bodyguard, and I'm yours too. Nobody dares to fight the King of monsters.»  
I smile and he traces my puffy cheeks and dimples with a finger. Suddenly he starts searching for something in a suitcase.  
«I have something for you.» He takes a little gift box, handing it to me.  
I delicately untie the bow and tear the paper, blushing. «How did you know I like reading?»  
«You'll find all the answers you want in these pages.»  
I look at the book: the cover is black with a big snowflake in the middle, there's a weird symbol under the title that is "Mad". It's probably around fifty pages, I think there could be some pictures in it. I open it, but Mikael immediately closes it again.  
«You'll read it at home.» He says.  
I turn the book to read the plot. «How can a story give me answers about you and us?»  
«Because it is about us.»  
The plot is simple and clear, the warm letters I trace with a finger tells me this has been printed just some hours ago:  
 _I needed a Queen, her prettiness was enough to give her a crown and I chose her, I couldn't know she was the pure woman I always dream to meet. I crave her love. She became the most important person of my life, more important than all I have and myself; I use to take what I want by force, but if she doesn't want me I would be willing to wait for her forever, I would do everything to feel my heart beating again as it did when I kissed her for the first time._  
 _I'm waiting for her at the airport, where we will leave to start a new life together. She told me she won't come, but I know she will. Soon or late she'll be here, and I'll stay here until this will happen, waiting for the right moment to come and hit me hard._  
«I could have added some fantasy elements to the story.» He says as I look at the book wide-eyed.  
«You wrote our story?» I ask, shocked.  
«I did.» He answers like it's totally normal.  
I jump on him and hug him tight. «I love you.»  
Sit astride on him, I use his chest as a pillow and his arms as a blanket, only the clothes and our book under my belly dividing our souls. Listening to the cold silence of his heart, I sleep on my man, knowing that the only monster I could ever fear is letting me sleep on him and wants to protect me from the hell that this world is.

He cooked _Pasta con Pomodoro e Basilico_ , one of the best Italian recipes. I've never eaten something that wasn't fast food or out of my mother's menus, let alone a delicious Italian dish! I wondered how could Mikael cook so well and he told me in his lifetime he learned to do many things perfectly. I couldn't hold myself thinking about what he learned with his women, so I did and I realized I'm extremely jealous of him.  
We walk in the long corridor, everything is white and modernly decorated to make this villa professional and cozy at the same time. I stop in front of a door with my name written in an elegant italic calligraphy on it. Mikael's arm moves forward to open the door, then he pushes me with his body in the dark room.  
«I can't see anything!» I whisper, feeling an intruder in the peaceful atmosphere of this place.  
«I know. I do. I won't let you hit a thing, don't worry.» He says.  
«Where's the...» I fall, suddenly pushed by him, my heart keeps beating hard also when I feel the soft mattress on my back. «Mikael!» I shout.  
The room lightens and the first thing I see is Mikael chuckling. «You're cute when you're angry.»  
«Shut up, monster!»  
In an instant he's on me, his hands holding my wrists on the sides of my head. «You're sexy when you're scared.» He whispers. I feel his erection pressed on my pussy that immediately responds to him, wetting, contracting and relaxing. I know he's feeling what he's doing to me, and he likes it as much as I do. His hand slips in my panties and...  
«It's time to go.» Diana glares at him, her hands elegantly crossed on her belly. _Where the hell did she come from? She wasn't behind us._  
Mikael kisses me as my cheeks become darker more than they already were, then he stands up and exits the room with Diana, closing the door. None of them say anything nor give a look at me, like I don't exist anymore.  
I sigh. _I guess I have to get used to his behavior: he does what he wants and I can't stop him if I don't wanna die trying._  
I take a look around: my room is made for the princess Mikael desires. The canopy bed has dark red blankets and four white curtains on every side. He also added some little Christmas lights bent to the curtains, I'm sure this has been his idea as he said, he knows I'm afraid of the dark. The elegant chandelier slightly lights the room with a warm light, on the ground it's hard to distinguish the blood-red of the carpet from the dark wood floor. Apparently Mikael discovered my favorite color, the blood-red of the dress I wore at his party. I can't help but smile.  
I open the giant closet in front of the bed. It's full of dresses from the 1800's dames' wardrobes. I take the most similar to a pajama, a Victorian nightdress with a sash that just makes it puffier on the upper part on me. All the elegant stuff that is making me cute makes my flower down there dry, so I untie the curtains and I go to sleep, tired for the trip and... everything that happened after.

I open my eyes. The curtains are tied, I can see the moon lighting the room, the cold wind caresses my face without waking me with his violence. It's calm, like the night, and like the man standing in a dark corner of the room. I look straight in his glowing gray eyes and his body tenses, probably when he realizes I'm seeing him. He has a straight face, but his angelic presence gives me good vibes and I smile to him. He slowly tilts his head, narrowing his eyes and raising an eyebrow. I want him to come here and hug me, but I'll never know if he does it because the tiredness has the best on me and I close my eyes.

Pancakes. Pancakes with maple syrup and hot milk. These aromas wake me up fast and delicately. I run down the stairs like a child that can't wait to open his Christmas' gifts and as I see the breakfast my jaw drops on the ground.  
Tons of fruits, sweets and other warm delicious plates wait for me on a long table in the middle of the dining room. I walk closer to the table on my tiptoes, the floor icing my feet, trying to understand if I'm in a lucid dream or Mikael built a paradise for us.  
«Blade! Where the fuck are you?» A singsong voice says loud. I try to understand where is it from, but there are too many doors in this room to guess. «Blade!» He calls again.  
I run under the table just a second before the man opens the door. I see him stepping to the table and stopping here, his feet a few inches from me. I hold my breath, my heart jumps in my ears. Luckily in a few seconds he turns and he walks in the door he came from. _Who the hell was he?_ I take a sigh of relief.  
«Boo.»  
I scream, jumping and hitting my head on the table. I turn and I see the man innocently grinning behind me.  
«I'm Joseph.» He says, giving me his hand to shake.

**Would you like to read from Mikael's POV?**   
**Would you like to read the book he gifted to Katrina?**   
**Most importantly... Are you ready for the next chapter? Someone goes hunting, Katrina gets too close to Mikael's right-hand and Diana reveals some big secrets about Mikael! 🤫😉**


	14. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, book lovers!  
> If you have any question or you want to contact me, please, text me on Wattpad!  
> My nickname is @HappyKaylaMoon

He's well-built, not so high, but his friendly face doesn't scare me at all, the opposite of what I expected from whoever can freely walk alive in Mikael's house.  
«Who's Blade? How did you come behind me? I saw you walking away! What the...?!» I observe the ring Mikael gifted me on my finger. I'm sure I didn't have it last night.  
«Mikael's surname is Blake, but, you know, Blade reflects his personality as a nickname, doesn't it? By the way, have you seen him?» He gives me his hand and I grab it to jump up, drastically rolling my eyes to make him see I just want to eat alone.  
«Who's this beautiful girl?» He asks, trying to kiss my hand that I immediately move on the table to make a jam sandwich. When I finish it and took a big bite of it, I notice a weird silence and I turn to the smiling man that is ruining the start of my new life with Mikael. The guy's smile turned in a worried grimace as his eyes settled upon my ring.  
He seems a nice person, but his humor annoys me. «Listen, teleported idiot, I don't know where is Mikael. Let me eat in peace, ok?» I push him away, for some reasons he gets on my nerves, something that rarely happens with me.  
«Where did you find that ring?» He asks in a flat voice as I grab a peanut butter's jar and put my finger and the ring in it. Seems Mr. Teleported lost his good mood.  
As I take some more peanut butter, he grabs my t-shirt near my neck and pushes me on the table, bending over me to reach my ear. «Where did you find it?» He asks again. I'm scared, but not of him, I can feel he doesn't want to hurt me.  
«He gave me it, we're a couple. What's the matter?» I face him and slap him as he releases me. He doesn't react, his face doesn't even move of an inch, then his eyes drained of happiness crosses mines.  
«Mikael is my friend, but he's not the right man for you. This can't end up well. For the good of both of you, you have to stay away from him.»  
«I can stand him, he's not...»  
He puts his hands on my shoulders a little too violently, but he immediately loosens his grip. «Listen to me, he's a monster. He will make you reach a level of pain that will keep you in agony without making you faint. You're running straight to the devil's throne, please...» His fingers playfully drum on the tense muscles of my shoulder. «... I'm sure you will have fun hunting with us! Right, Mikael?» He smiles to someone behind me and I turn, seeing Mikael's narrowed eyes moving from me to...  
«I see you met Joseph.» Mikael walks to us and suddenly Joseph becomes the most likable person I've ever known. I gulp, feeling guilty for talking with him, and for wanting to keep doing it to stay safely away from my angry man.  
«Yea, we were eating and talking about you.» Joseph starts, cleaning my mouth with a decorated cloth that I would sell for his beauty, the same he's using as a napkin. I let him do this, feeling extremely uncomfortable, and what makes all weirder is that I feel bad only because Mikael is watching us, like it's normal for a guy to clean a twenty year old girl's mouth. I blush, silently insulting my parents for always doing it. «I think she should come hunting with us, I miss using weapons to kill.» Joseph's arm lands around my shoulders and I move away, seeing Mikael's body stiffen in an instant.  
«Katrina will stay at home.» That was my plan, until he said it out loud. He can't decide for me, I'm not a little girl anymore! _Well, not entirely._  
«I think I'll come, you can't leave me here alone. Joseph is right, we can have fun hunting together.» I try my best to smile at him while the thought of his control mania gets on my nerves.  
«It's too dangerous for you.»  
«I'm an adult, Mikael. I can take my decisions and I know how to take care of myself.» I protest, hands on my hips and a fake smile on my face. Suddenly I feel a strong fear growing in me. I take the ring off and the courage comes back to help me as I dedicate a sly smile to my furious boyfriend. «One day I'll shove it down your throat.» He whispers. I shiver, this time I can't force myself to smile.  
«You can't close me here, I'll go wherever I want, whenever I want, with whoever I want.» I dare to say, clenching my fists to stop my body to shake.  
«You won't do anything without my permission.»  
«She's right.» Joseph interjects us with his happy voice. «You're not her daddy.»  
I smile to him and he makes a little bow, making me laugh a little. I admire the cute smile of Joseph realizing he doesn't annoy me as I thought, I take a step towards him and I end up at an inch from Mikael's face that slipped between us.  
I sigh, rolling my eyes. «Mikael, you can't...»  
«I hope you're a good shooter.» He states with a straight face, his jaw clenched and his eyes killing me with his anger.

I don't know where we are, but I'm sure it's not Las Vegas. We walk in the wood and I keep apologizing to Joseph for hugging his arm as he walks fast among the trees that darken the place in the morning making me a blind terrified girl.  
«Here we are!» Joseph announces as we come out in a small lighten square, a little paradise in a world of scary darkness. There are around twenty people chatting quietly dressed like survivors and some giant wolves looking around and yawning. They seem all joyful and ready to make some sort of game. I didn't know hunting was amusing, I thought it was more like a work.  
«How do I...» As I turn, Joseph is disappeared. A wolf took his place. «Hi big wolf. You don't bite, right?»  
He stares at me intensely, his majestic size intimidates me, but I delicately caress his head and the fear flies away when he closes his eyes and his ears move down. He rolls and I crouch down to pet his fluffy belly.  
«You're late. Take the weapons, I want this stupid haunting to end fast.» Diana isn't screaming, but her authoritarian tone catches everyone's attention.  
Among all the people she obviously strides to me. She's wearing a black jacket and trousers, black boots and a green t-shirt. A sportive green hat makes her even more fun, but also bossy. It doesn't surprise me, she would seem bossy also dressed like a clown.  
«You have a mate, move your ass away before she sees you flirting with another girl. She wouldn't hesitate to thrusts her teeth in your head if you cheat on her.» I need some minutes to understand who's she talking with. The wolf scampers away with a moan like he understood her words.  
«And you.» Her perfect finger stops close to my face. «You must hope to be Mikael's slave to death, 'cause if he trashes you I'll be ready to shove my hand down your throat and rip your heart off.»  
«Calm down, Mrs. Strain.» Joseph seems to have a tight grip on Diana's wrist, he's stronger and she evidently doesn't like it, but she doesn't rebel. He releases her and her arm moves away from him in a nervous fast movement.  
«We can't all do this just for a human Mikael cares about. She's just...» Joseph's hand hit her face that turns. Diana is strong and classy, why is she acting like a rude teenager? She clenches her jaw, looking down at the grass.  
«She's Mikael's girlfriend, she has the ring, she's the one and you're no one to anyone here, not anymore. Put it in your mind.» He growls. Where's the nice guy I met at breakfast?  
Is everyone gone mad?  
Joseph wraps his arm around my waist and I lean on him, confused and a little bit scared, all the eyes on us. Diana glares at me, looking at me from head to toe, her chin held up, then she walks away. I see her clenched fists bleeding.  
«Don't mind her, a jealous woman doesn't worth your time.»  
«I didn't want to discuss with her.» I really didn't want to. She's not bad, she just likes to be the boss and it's ok, I never wanted to be a leader and I will never try to steal her power, whatever it is.  
«You didn't, she did. Don't worry, she'll accept you.»  
«I hope so. She's been nice to me, she bought me an expensive dress and always respected me.»  
«She's good at hiding her mood when she wants to.»  
«She wasn't faking, I see her as a friend.»  
«Are you defending her? Oh girl, Mikael was right, you're too good to live in this world. Come on, take your weapon.» He hands me a knife and loads his rifle. «Are you ready?»  
I look at the knife: only have it in my hands makes me feel bad. «I don't want to kill any creature. Can we take a walk and talk about Mikael? I need to know more about him and he doesn't talk so much. You know him, right?»  
«Sure. Let's go, I have many horror stories to tell you.»  
«About what?» I jump as I hear Mikael's voice behind me. I panic, but Joseph seems to know perfectly how to handle him, he's not even worried and he gives him a bored look.  
«About my best friend Blade, a monster with a bad temper. You know that badmouthing you is my favorite hobby.»  
I remember Jordan trembling after Mikael discovered he was saying bad things about him to me. This time both Mikael and Joseph giggles.  
«You can do it tomorrow, now she has to hunt with me.»  
«She needs answers only I can give her. I'll handle this, trust me.»  
The atmosphere changes in an instant as Mikael takes a step to Joseph putting a hand on his shoulder, his face now straight. «She doesn't need any answer I can't give her myself. Jog on.»  
 _What about my opinion?_  
«Women learn with women.» Her voice sounds clear and powerful, I and the men turn to see Diana staring at me with hate in her eyes.  
I gulp, unable to talk. Mikael looks at me and nods, ignoring the visible fear shaking my body. I'm ready to protest when I realize that Diana is very close to Mikael. She must know what's real and what's a crazy fantasy of him in the words he told me. _The truth won't be useful if you let a furious woman kill you walking with her alone in the dark wood_. I ignore the little me screaming worrying thoughts and I follow Diana in the hell.

I finally feel the cloth of her jacket under my fingertips and I crouch down in the bush where she is, immobile and silent like a statue.  
«You took too long to find your partner, if a beast was running behind me I would be dead.»  
«Sorry, it's hard to find someone hiding in a black wood, stopping you from taking her hand to know where the hell is she running.» I talk fast, trying to find a comfortable position without dirty too much the stupid white jeans I decided to wear this morning, when I didn't even know how to hunt.  
I skip the small talk. «How long have you known Mikael?» I wait, but all I can hear is the sound of nature. «So? I need to know more about him, I know you know him better than anyone else, you know what he is, what he wants, what he likes...»  
I feel something sharp pressing on my neck and I resist to gulp. My basic instinct tells me that the best way to stay alive is to show Diana I'm strong. «What? If you think you can't be better than me to your friends' eyes you can lie and tell me what Mikael hates the most, so you will lose the battle for the power with a vantage point and prove that I'm better for real.»  
She pushes the knife a little more, cutting my skin. «I don't care about what my friends know of me, I only need my enemies to believe I'm the strongest.» She moves the knife away from my neck and I take deep breaths, happy to be able to breathe normally again. In the dark, I catch her angry gaze gives way to a bored expression. «He's a man that conquered everything he has with his own blood, all he knows came from experience and evidence, he's on the right path to be perfect. All he needs now is a woman that accepts him for what he is and understands him and his ideas.»  
«Sure, if she knows who he is and what his ideas are. He doesn't open to me easily.»  
She gives me a disgusted look, like she just came out from a dream on a throne and suddenly found herself dirty in a forest and saw her opponent. «Sure, a little angel like you can't understand a man like him.»  
I ignore her polite insult. «I know he's violent. I hardly accept it, but I do. I just don't understand how can he love his woman if he desires to see her in pain.»  
«Some people think he's heartless cause he loves in his unique way and it doesn't surprise me, they are the same people that don't believe in witchcraft cause witches help nature instead of flying on a broom and curse people as they believe real witches do. Mikael rather conquers a woman with good sex and real pleasure besides a romantic dinner and fake smiles. He's an old-fashioned man, but he's misunderstood: he doesn't force his woman to stay at home cause he thinks she can't work cause she's inferior to him, but because he wants to take care of her and provide for everything she needs without making her lift a finger.»  
There's a logic in her little speech, but that doesn't answer my question. «Love means to want your partner to be happy.»  
«Everyone has his own definition of love. Hate is a form of love.»  
«Right, but Mikael doesn't hate me.»  
«His joy is your pain. He can't love you if you don't hate him.»  
«What? He wants me to be angry and push him away?»  
«He wants you to be yourself. You are sensitive and nice, Katrina; he wants you to smile when he destroy your enemies and cry when he hurt you. This is his vision of love, what he wants. And you must accept it.»  
«But he doesn't want me to fear him.»  
«He's a predator, if he senses your fear his basic instinct will order him to kill you. He thinks you're strong enough to bear whatever could happen if someone from his hell breaks in the little paradise he built for you, that's why now you're here.»  
Things get complicated. Mikael's actions' meaning change depending on how I perceive them. Maybe I'm wrong, he's not bad, I'm just too good. Maybe I'm losing the most powerful man of the world because I'm too close-minded to understand he loves me for real. Or maybe I'm just thinking too much without even trying to change him as I want. This sounds evil, but he's evil, so if I change him it's good... right?  
«He's in love with my sensitiveness. Maybe my fear will make him understand what's wrong and what's good.»  
«Have you heard me? He didn't do anything wrong. What's wrong with you?!» She bursts out. «He's giving you everything, he's trying to use his anger to protect you, he's letting you free from his desires and his secrets and you keep trying to correct him like he's not enough for you. You should be proud and grateful, not angry and afraid, cumberworld!»  
I want to protest, but the confusion stops me. «Cumberworld?»  
«Yes. It's an insult used in the Victorian Era. It means you're a useless person that just serves to take up space.»  
That's the most complicated insult I've ever heard, my mind is so shocked I don't even feel offended. «I just want him to learn to be harmless.»  
The loud sound of the knife cutting the air makes me jump. I look wide-eyed at the died bird on the ground.  
«You can't expect him to act like a human. He's a beast, he can't control his emotions, he will always be ready to kill every life around him and you. You can't change his nature, not without stealing his happiness. I don't think you want to, you love him.» She takes the bird and walks away as I look at her with my mouth open.

There are only three dead animals and there are around twenty people with some wolves. I could think they were just terrible hunters and take a sigh of relief if they weren't all covered in blood, especially on the mouth. What creeps me even more are their smiles, the same they had before we started hunting.  
«What do you think of our new life together?» Mikael smiles to me, some blood drips fall from his lips to his t-shirt.  
I look at him and my first thought is about his look: he's sexy in his sports clothes, a black t-shirt and black trousers. The world could fall and all I would think about is Mikael. My eyes run from his grey eyes to his dirty red lips.  
«I will get used to it.» I kiss him, my mind and my heart totally rapt by him.


	15. Chapter 14

Mikael surely trusts Joseph. He decided I can take some time for myself, all I have to accept is the constant presence of Joseph walking on my side as a bodyguard. I was reluctant to stay alone with him, but now I'm happy I accepted, he became my first friend in Mikael's world.  
He didn't talk about Mikael anymore after the breakfast episode. I'm glad he stopped, he can't know if I'm the right woman for Mikael as he can't know if I'm the wrong one, he doesn't know me well and even if he does he should mind his own business.  
I spent all the day exploring Mikael's giant villa, observing his art and trying to find the keys of the many closed doors like in a videogame. Now, after dining in a luxury restaurant with Joseph that made me almost die from laughter, it's time to explore the city.  
«I can't make you see all the beauty of this town tonight, Mikael would kill me if you visit his favorite places without him.»  
I roll my eyes. «Mikael has to stop trying to control me. I'm a liable adult.»  
«Yea, kind of.» He looks away after a glance at my glare. «Anyway, I'll show you _my_ favorite place.»  
«What is it?»  
«It's a surprise!» He covers my eyes with his hands and after a few steps he turns me like a dummy. «Here it is: the paradise of losers.»  
The neon sign says: _Red Lux_.  
«Nightclubs aren't for losers.»  
«How would you call a woman that dances on a pole for money and a lonely man that watches her? I call them losers.»  
«I call them strippers and horny men.»  
«But they are losers. They come here 'cause they can't take what they want in their private life, both men and women.»  
I shrug. «Ok. Let's go in, loser.» I walk in the place with a smirk as he freezes behind me.

The name of this night club is perfect: Red Lux, the pub where the strippers dances under red lights. The music is pleasantly loud and the bar I immediately search for isn't so full, lighten by a blue warm light. I sit there, drinking a cocktail that someone forgot here without even taking a sip of it and looking around, sinking in the stool. The place is enormous, there are more than a thousand people and it seems empty with just twelve strippers moving around and on their pools, but I don't find hard to recognize Diana among them. She's dancing on the counter of one of the four bars. I can't imagine a strong, elegant woman like her dancing for money for some rich pigs. I walk to her with my drink when someone touches her ankle. She moves it away as fast as I stop, totally focused on her.  
«You can't touch the girls.» A bodyguard pushes the man away, but he's too stupid to stay silent and go to drool over another stripper.  
«Come on man, she's just a sex machine.» His fat hands reach her hips and I feel disgusted, feeling in her heels.  
«I'm a woman. I allow you to watch me dancing, but if you touch me again I'll be forced to make you be guided to the exit sir.»  
«You mustn't allow me nothing, you're just a bitch. Where's your boss? He won't be happy about your behavior.»  
«Do you want me to kick him out, Mrs. Strain?» The bodyguard seems impatient to do it, but Diana shakes her head.  
«Pay attention at your next words, If you choose them wrong you may don't have a job tomorrow.»  
«I don't think so, I'm the boss.»  
I see the fat man staring at her for some seconds before throwing himself towards the counter.  
«You fucking bitch!» He screams, but before he can even touch her she kicks him in the face and he falls like a fat ball of meat. I see some beads of sweat pouring down his face as he tries to stand up.  
I raise my eyes to forget this horrible vision and I meet Diana's superior look just a second before a man walks between us and puts a hand on my mouth, staring intensely at me with an angry grin.  
«Found you.» He says as I recognize him: Jordan.  
He lifts me on his shoulder and I start screaming like a choking cat. «Help me, please! Hey!» I keep moving, grabbing jackets and pants, but nobody helps me, someone just glance at me and comes back to the stripper in an instant. Their indifference probably hurts more than whatever Jordan could do to me. «Joseph!» I shout as the last hope abandons me, remaining behind the bathrooms door that closes behind us.  
Jordan throws me on the floor, my head hits the ground and I open widely my eyes as breathing becomes harder than thinking right now.  
«You thought you could escape me? Poor, poor girl.» His creepy smile reveals sharp fangs that I only saw in horror movies. He sits down, moving me against his body and my hairs away from my neck. I'm paralyzed, mentally and physically; all I can do is trembling and staring at him, shocked.  
«Your skin is so soft and fragile, I could break it with satisfying ease.» He moans, caressing my neck. «I want to do it again and again, hear you crying feeling your pain on my lips to the end of your miserable life. And I want it to happen slowly. That's the only reason your neck will stay virgin.»  
«I-I'm s-sorry.» I manage to mutter. He bursts out laughing.  
«For what? It's not your fault if Mikael decided to break all my bones and drag me around the city tying me to a horse, but someone has to pay for this and Mikael is stronger than me, so here we are.»  
«M-Mikael did t-this to you?»  
«Yes. It wasn't so enjoyable, trust me. I would make you try it, but a human wouldn't survive and I don't want you to die for a different reason from pain, it wouldn't be fun.» He takes my wrist, covering my mouth with a hand. «Now get ready, this is gonna hurt so bad.» He grins, the black fading in in all his eyes and a little red smoke appearing in the center.  
Hi teeth thrust into my flesh and I try to scream, but his hand stops a voice already killed by fear and pain. My vision blurs. The warm blood flows down my little weak arm that is becoming white, all my fingers as my muscles are tight like they need to do it to grab the life he's sucking out of me.  
Suddenly someone appears in front of me and throws Jordan in a bathroom, breaking the door. I narrow my eyes and I see Joseph biting and rip off a piece of Jordan's neck. As his vantablack eyes meet mines, his expression sweetens. He let Jordan fall and scream like he's burning alive to walk close to me.  
I look at him from head to toe. _This can't be real_. «Is this a nightmare?»  
«Isn't it a dream? The prince saved you from the monster.» He whispers in my ear as I keep shaking.  
«No. You are a monster. There's no prince in hell.» My thoughts are all simple and on the present.  
«Are you sure?» He asks with a little smile.  
I nod, confused and scared.  
He takes a sigh, looking down. «Ok. Do you wanna wake up?»  
«Yes, please.»  
He smiles and wipes my tears that I didn't even feel falling on my cheeks. «Ok. Now I'll wake you up and you'll remember nothing.»  
I nod again, not sure of understanding well his words. He takes a broom and breaks it, dividing the iron stick from it.  
«I would like you to remember everything, you're cute when you're angry.»  
«Why would I be angry at you? I'm ok with you using your vampire powers to make me forget what happened, that's what I want.»  
He gives me a grin, raising his eyebrows. «Unluckily real vampires doesn't have this power, but we have another professional method to erase your memory and I'm pretty sure you won't like it. Goodnight, baby!»  
The stick hits my head and everything turns black.


	16. Chapter 15

I open my eyes and I see a cute smile in my red room.  
«Good morning sunshine.» Joseph whispers, leaning on the wall in front of my bed with his arms crossed.  
Confused, I move a hand in my hair and a sharp twinge of pain force my eyes to squeeze shut. I open my mouth, trying to hold a scream, turning it in a groan. «What happened?»  
«Drink.» I notice Diana sitting close to me, handing me a steamy cup. I obey, burning my tongue with a hot disgusting liquid. «It's a medicine.» She explains.  
«To cure what? What happened to me?»  
«What do you remember?» Joseph walks close to me and caresses my arm. I try to relax.  
«I entered Diana's club and I saw her kicking a guy, then... nothing. It's like I was shut off in that moment.»  
«Do you remember how many cocktails have you drank?»  
«What? I don't like many cocktails, I don't think I...»  
«You were drunk, awake but totally out of your mind. It's better if Mikael doesn't know this.»  
I can't even remember I started to drink, but it's possible I did, I really wanted to enjoy that day of freedom. «So I got drunk and I fainted.»  
«Yea, you did what a drunk girl does. Drink, fuck, faint.»  
«Fuck?»  
«Yes, that's why Mikael shouldn't know this, especially because if you tell him you will never see my beautiful face again, I doubt that after failing to protect you he will leave me alive. It's not your fault, but he wouldn't understand it.»  
I shake my head, incredulous. «No, I can't have fucked anyone. I'm not that type of girl.»  
«I know what I saw, Katrina.» Joseph's tone sharpens, I observe his jaw clenching and his eyes losing every trace of amusement. As he meets Diana's look, I raise up.  
«I'm so sorry, I will never drink again. I hate myself.» I whimper, covering my eyes with my hands.  
«Wear it, the dinner will be ready in an hour.» Diana hands me the dress she bought me with Gabi. _Gabi... I need to hear her voice, I miss her enthusiasm_. I try to take my phone, but my hand lands on an empty bedside table.  
«What do you need?» Diana asks.  
She just lost my trust, but luckily she didn't realize it. «I need to check the time, where is my phone?»  
«It's 7:00 pm.»  
My eyes widen. «Are you kidding me? It was 10:00 pm when I entered your night club.»  
«You slept an entire day.»  
I try to remember if I woke up after I fainted, but my mind shows me a big black hole in my memory. I sigh, feeling a headache coming to torment me if I don't stop thinking about that night. «Wait me for dinner.»  
Diana nods.  
«Wait, do you remember what you dreamed of during your long princessly sleep?» Joseph asks. I shake my head, confused. «Maybe you dreamed about a hero with a broomstick.»  
Diana sighs loudly and rolls her eyes, pushing him out of the room. As soon as she closes the door, I run to the bathroom. I'm wearing a soft pajama and I wouldn't have minded if Joseph undressed me instead of Diana, until now.  
I make my panties fall down my legs and gently insert the tip of my finger in my slit. It burns, the walls closing tight around my finger. _I'm still a virgin. They lied to me._

 _I didn't want to, but I couldn't stop myself: all I could think about was her. The blood on my hands was from the asshole that was flirting with her, but as I was brushing my palms the desire of feeling her virginity's blood on my hands intensified and became a real fact in my mind._  
_The police should've arrived in ten minutes, it was enough. I undid my trousers, my hot beast was calling me, begging to thrust in her pussy until she bleeds. I take it in my hand and I use long, twisting strokes from base to tip on it._  
I feel my juice falling down my slit and wetting the red blanket. I lick the tip of my finger and slowly move it on my nipples. It's a slow torture that brings me fast to slide a finger between the petals of my flower, massaging my clitoris with circular motions.  
«The dinner is...»  
I jump, hugging my legs to my chest, watching Joseph's jaw dropping on the ground. Mikael's book flies on the ground opened.  
«I-I'm... I was just...» I stammer some words, trying to say something that makes any sense.  
«Mikael wouldn't like it unless he ordered you to do it and I guess he didn't.»  
I hug my legs tighter, the growing heat in my cheeks makes me put my head on my knees trying to hide at least a cheek, watching Joseph at the door on my left side.  
«I won't tell him anything. Wear your princess dress and come down before the dinner gets cold.» He turns and walks away, but my voice stops him. I called his name and as he turns I read a feeling of desire in his intense gaze.  
«Why are you helping me?» I ask in a whisper.  
He sighs. «If you are the angel Mikael talks about, you don't deserve what he wants for you. I know you won't run away, nothing can stop you from trying to save someone, but if I can't save you at least I will try to make your life a little better.» He walks away, shutting the door behind him.  
I take the book from the ground: Joseph is right, nothing can stop me from saving Mikael from himself.


	17. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm more active on Wattpad, my nickname is @HappyKaylaMoon, follow me!

It's dark, but the candles light the stairs enough to let me walk down without tumbling and rolling, not that I wouldn't be so clumsy to do it with the lights on.  
The dining room is lightened by the sunset and some chandeliers.  
«You don't really like the brightness, don't you?» As I turn my head the dinner leaves me speechless.  
On the cream-colored tablecloth there are some little candles flanked by some lush roses' flowerpot, forming a wonderful design. The rectangular table has twelve seats, but now it's set only for four people, one sits at the top table and I don't find it hard to guess who he is before his grey eyes meet mines.  
I ignore the glare that Diana dedicates to me and I sit in front of her, near Mikael. Joseph just runs his eyes from me to Diana, his eyebrows raised in an expression of boredom and impatience. He's probably hungry and he doesn't give a damn about two women secretly hating each other for jealousy. I can't blame him.  
I grab one of the two forks on the decorated napkin and I take a bite of Rock Shrimp Pasta with Spicy Tomato Sauce on my silver plate. Its delicious taste makes me moan.  
«Mmh, have you cooked it by yourself?» I talk while I chew the pasta, feeling wrong without understanding why.  
«Yes. I learned to cook it during my holidays in Italy, I have a home there.»  
I moan again, taking another bite of it. «You cook better than my grandmother. What can I drink?» I ask, observing the dozens of bottles on the table.  
Mikael takes a bottle and pours a red liquid in one of my three crystal glasses, then he takes another bottle and serves Diana, Joseph and himself. Their beverage pours in the glass, dense like syrup and red like the petals of the roses.  
I take a sip of my drink. As usual, Mikael chose well. «Did you wait for me to eat?»  
«Yes, we did.» Mikael answers, ignoring Joseph grumbling about it.  
«You didn't have to.»  
«But we wanted to. It's a matter of respect.» He insists.  
I roll my eyes, crossing my arms and falling on the back of the chair. _Ok, mister perfect_. «Do you always wear elegant dresses and suits from the nineteenth century or what? Is this a joke? Or maybe a special dinner?»  
«Oh Lord...» Diana shakes her head in a theatrical way, rolling her eyes. Her hair is combed in an elegant bun that doesn't move when her head does.  
«Every dinner is special when there's food on the table. We care about being personable, but you can wear whatever you want.» Mikael's voice is firm and calm, but his fast gesticulating hints me that I unnerved him as he's doing with me and I'm doing with Diana. _Poor Joseph._  
As Mikael's eyes stop on me again, I try to stare in his eyes, but my red cheeks show him my embarrassment. He smiles and as his hand lands on my lap I immediately sit straight, holding my breath. Inside me it's happening a lot, but nobody can know this as they can't see his hand under the table caressing and warming my lap. The heat fastly expands and reaches my sensitive area. I struggle to control myself to not brush my tights and release the tension in an intense orgasm - something I know only by the name -.  
I need to break the silence. «It seems you came out from a modern movie about the Victorian Era.»  
«And you seem the snow queen, we are the perfect group of weirdos.» Joseph hushes as Mikael raises his hand.  
«The Victorian Era is my favorite period of all time. Sincerely, I appreciate all the nineteenth century.» Mikael grins, taking my hand with his free one, his thumb caressing the back of it. «The art, morality, the culture, the style, the society with its classes... it was all perfect, especially women. I am a King and my favorite characteristic of that age was women.» Suddenly I find myself eating and listening to him with attention. I'm not the only one. «They were always respectful and elegant, a value that today is lost. Virtuous women are rare, but not inexistent.» He glances at me. «I hope my queen won't insist to work and risk her life outside, far away from my arms. I couldn't stand it.»  
He's talking about me, his eyes struggle to stay on the plate as he waits for my answer. I'm ready to protest, but I remember Diana's words about his vision of love: _He's an old-fashioned man, but he's misunderstood: he doesn't force his woman to stay at home 'cause he thinks she can't work 'cause she's inferior to him, but because he wants to take care of her and provide for everything she needs without making her lift a finger._ «She won't.» I say, kissing him on the cheek, not caring about Diana and Joseph.  
«What about men?» Diana shows off an unnatural grin, winking to Mikael. «They were loyal, brave, strong, violent, ruthless.» The corners of her mouth slowly fall down as Mikael eats and doesn't even look at her. Meanwhile, the little me in my head jumps and screams: his hand is still on my lap, _he chose me!_  
Diana doesn't surrender. «A man would have given her life for his woman. Luckily they don't anymore, today no woman deserves it, especially the one unable to accept his man for who he is.»  
«Diana.» Mikael glares at her, her eyes become lucid, but she doesn't stop and she stands up.  
«I'd rather die than see this stupid girl on the Queen's throne.»  
«Sit down, Diana.» Mikael growls, I can hear his heavy fast breath.  
«She's just a young woman that can't even take care of herself, how could she have a man? How could she be a Queen?»  
«You're not better than her, Diana, trust me.» Joseph evidently can't control himself anymore. My new friend is protecting me. I think I found my second Gabriela.  
«You're underestimating her.» Mikael answers to Diana, ignoring Joseph.  
«It's impossible, she has no valor.»  
Mikael stands up, hitting the table with his fist, making me jump. «How dare you?!» He shouts and she immediately sits down, glaring down at her plate that she didn't even touch.  
Joseph stands up, surprising everyone. I see the regret in his eyes as Mikael glares at him. «I know it's not the best moment to say this, but I think you and your girlfriend shouldn't have secrets. Mikael, she has to know who you are.»  
«I don't know what you're talking about. I have no secrets with her.» He suddenly calms down... proving he's hiding something.  
I don't want to make him angry again, but I need to know whatever is hiding to me. I will accept his secret, who he is, in front of everyone, so Diana won't have reasons to insult me anymore. «I know you have a secret, Mikael. I can't love you if I don't know who you are. Please...»  
His hands run to cup my face. I see his black pupils expanding, but he closes his eyes and when he opens them after a few seconds they are completely normal. «Listen, Katrina, you know everything you need to know about me. You love me, I know you do.»  
«It's better if you tell her. If you don't, she'll discover it by herself and it won't be easy to explain it.»  
«Shut up!» Mikael shouts, turning to Joseph that take a sigh of disappointment, the delusion is painted all over his face.  
As I try to move away, Mikael forces me to look at him, holding my face with his strong fingers going deep in my puffy cheeks. His mouth opens, but nothing comes out for a while, until he finds the right words to hit my heart like a fist. «I will never let you go, whatever it takes.» He whispers loud enough to make everyone hear it, his eyes slowly becoming red as his veins become visible in them. He keeps a straight face until he notices my expression. I'm confused and scared: his face is unreadable, I don't know if he's angry or sad, but he's scary in both ways, so I freeze and stay silent, waiting for his next move. He smiles, his grip on my jaw loosens.  
«Finish your dinner.» He orders in a sweet tone before going back to his seat.  
Me, Diana and Joseph eyes each other: Diana is furious and Joseph seems sad for me and disappointed by his friends.  
I start eating fast, I want to run to my room and fall asleep to wake up in my home, hug my parents and discover this is just a nightmare.

No one breathed a word during the rest of the dinner. As I finished, I ran to my bedroom with a cup of chamomile tea, my favorite relaxing beverage, and tried to sleep, but the tension in my body is too much and I can't stop thinking about what just happened. Is it my fault? It is surely because of me, I need to help.  
I sneak out of my room with my soft deep-blue pantofle to run without making any sound, grabbing a chandelier near the stairs. I finally reach the entrance door and I walk out, wearing an elegant light-blue sleepwear and a cute nightcap with a pompon on it. When I step out of the mansion I realize that if I would have been naked it would have been better. The cold cloth of the nightwear glues to my skin pushed by the wind as I walk around the villa in the middle of the night, searching for Joseph to apologize about what happened, no matter if it's not my fault because it was all about me.  
Suddenly I hear a guttural sound followed by coughs. A figure is moving rhythmically with his heavy breath, near a mansion's wall. As I walk closer, I see he's leaning forward, his hands on his knees, a black sweatshirt's hood hides me the face of the mysterious man. I take another step towards him. He's a man for sure, the sweatshirt and the jeans seem ready to explode on those muscles.  
«Can I help you, sir?» I ask, my voice is shaky. He doesn't answer. He probably didn't hear me. «Do you need...»  
His body moves in a spasm as he vomits, my chandelier falls as I take my fists on my chest, widening my eyes to see something, anything that could assure me I'm safe or at least illude me I am.  
My chest moves fast up and down under my clenched fists as I observe his vomit flowing on the floor like a liquid. Narrowing my eyes, I see it is liquid, and red. _It's blood._  
I run to him and he grabs my throat. I try to breathe as I finally see his face: he's Joseph. I wait 'till I realize his vantablack eyes aren't working with the brain.  
«It's me, Joseph. It's Katrina.» I say in a raspy voice with the oxygen remained in my lungs.  
His expression changes from angry to confused. After an eternity he releases me.  
«Katrina.» He breathes. «Go back inside.»  
«You need to go to the hospital.»  
«No, I don't. I just ate too much, tomorrow I'll feel great again, funny and happy as you like me. As I need to stay.»  
I sigh. Does he really think I'll leave him all alone, sad and sick, outside? «Ok, I won't call an ambulance, but I'll stay here with you.»  
«I'm a man, I don't need a shoulder to cry on.»  
I snort. «This is the biggest bullshit I've ever heard.»  
He giggles, but the moment is ruined by another retch of him. I try to hold him with my little arms, but he pushes me away.  
«Stay away, leave me alone Katrina!»  
«Or what?!» I shout. _I'm not afraid to be myself, I'm not afraid to help people._ «You were right, nothing can stop me from saving someone.»  
«Katrina...» He breathes my name, exhausted.  
«No, Joseph. I won't go away until you'll feel good.» I say, trying to sweeten my tone.  
I stand up and I hug him. I'm ready to fight again, but his arms wrap around my slim body and I immediately relax. I smile, closing my eyes as his body warms me and cuddles me and a sudden tiredness wins over me.

 **You know who Mikael and Katrina are, but there are a lot of details you haven't discovered yet! In the next chapter you'll get to know them deeper while they spend some time together, and then... get ready for the worst day of Katrina's life.** 😈


	18. Chapter 17

The morning sunshine wakes me up. I groan and rolls inelegantly on the opposite side of the window before the sunlight could blind me, but I freeze and shut my eyes wide open as I hit a stranger's body.

Rising on my elbow, I see Joseph sleeping like a baby in my bed. Shirtless.

I force myself to stop staring at his abs and I slowly move away to stand up.

«I hear you, cat.»

I stop, sighing and falling on the pillow, my body relaxing and my puffy cheek crushing on the soft tissue. «Next time say this before I start moving like a secret agent.» I automatically make my hand fall on the bedside table and move to search my phone, making every other object on the surface fall.

«Mikael wants you to keep the distance from your past for a while.» I raise an eyebrow, seeing Joseph leaning on a wall in a corner of the room.  _ I didn't hear him moving, is he a ninja? _

I lick my dry lips. This room is an oven. «My past is still my present. My family is still alive, you know.»

«Your family isn't in your present anymore. Look at yourself: you're an adult. These last days you've been on your own, you are independent and you have a man and a mansion to live in with him. This is your present.»

«He thinks I'll just forget of my parents?»

«No, he thinks you can stop being their little girl and finally become the woman you want to be. When you'll be who you are, free from any impediment, you can contact them. But at that point I'm not sure you'll be impatient to do that.»

My breath becomes short and my muscles tenses. I know that if Mikael wants me to stay away from my parents there's anything I can do to contact them. «They worry about me! I can't suddenly disappear from their life like this. That's not what I was thinking about when I left Flint.» My voice is shaky, hearing myself trying to win a battle with a knife against a gun makes me unable to hold the tears. I look down at my feet, covering my face with my hair. «They won't let me go. If they won't hear from me, they'll call the police.»

«Mikael sends them a letter from you sometimes. They think you are happy and good, they won't search for you. You don't have to worry about them anymore.»

I let out a sob.

«But that's not the point. You don't care about their concern, you miss them, you're afraid to be alone and not be able to take care of yourself. Not surprising, you never thought you would be free one day, your overprotective parents made you lose this hope. Flesh news: you're not alone. You have nothing to worry about, Mikael will always be there for you.»

When Joseph finish talking, I'm sobbing uncontrollably.  _ I can't survive this world alone, I barely can make a decision by myself. _ «I'm wrong. Everytime I try to do what I want I make a mess.»

«Give me an example.»

I try to think, but nothing comes to my mind.

«You can't. You never made a mess, your mother never let you. Everytime you just tried to do something without her or different from what she ordered you to do, she stopped you or you stopped yourself because of her voice in your mind telling you what to do every second of your life. Am I right?»

I want to scream "No!", but I just cry. I can't lie, he's right. My mother and my father closed me in a golden cage, probably not noticing all the monsters in it.

«You don't know me.» I sob.

«I did my researches.»

«What about Gabriela? Can I...»

«No.» I wait for an explanation, but all I hear is the silence of a morning in Las Vegas.

«Ok.» I resign, wiping my tears off as they fill my eyes and fall faster on my wet cheeks. «Leave me alone.»

I listen carefully to the silence, hoping to hear his footsteps getting far and the bedroom door opens and shuts close. After some minutes of torturing silence as I try to hold myself sobbing, I turn: he's still there, staring at me with a neutral expression.

Looking down I walk fast to him and his arms warm me before I can even raise mines. I cry on his shoulder as he caresses and kisses my head.

After a pleasant eternity, he delicately pushes me away. «I need to go.»

«Don't leave me alone.» I beg him.

«Mikael will be here in a while, I need to leave before he finds us in the same bedroom and kill us both.» He smiles and I laugh.

«Thank you for this morning.» I kiss him on the cheek.

He takes my hand. «Thank you for this night. It would have been better if you wouldn't have fallen asleep on my shoulder in the cold backyard when I was sick and weak, but I'm grateful you honored me with your presence and mercy, my sweet Queen.» He bows and kisses my hand.

I feel the heat growing in my cheeks as he runs out of my room.

«Have a nice first day as Mikael's Queen!» He shouts from the corridor.

I run out in the corridor. «I'm not his Queen yet!» I look around: he's gone.

I look at the big fountain dancing behind us. Many tourists make some pics of it, my parents would do the same to keep a memory of it just because I would steal their precious time insisting to admire it, what I'm doing now while eating a delicious ice-cream for breakfast because luckily I'm with Mikael. He's sitting on the border of the fountain while I'm sitting like a siren, pulling my bent legs near my cold butt on the marble to admire the dance without wetting my feet.

«I wonder what does it taste like.» I'm not sure if Mikael is watching my ice-cream or a part of my body. My stupid cheeks decide to change color anyway.

As everytime I'm nervous, I start blabbing about the ice-cream. «This flavor is called Blue Moon. It's my favorite and it's rare, I can't believe I found it.» I chortle when I realize an ice-cream is giving me nostalgic vibes. That's depressive, I really can't stop thinking at my past like I'm forever bent with it. I need to distract myself. «It tastes like marshmallows.»

«Sounds great, can I taste it?»

«Sure!»

I hand him the ice-cream, but his hand goes past it and his finger takes a big piece of ice-cream on the corner of my mouth to bring it in his. I stop working.

When he laughs at me, I immediately wink and laugh to wake me up and don't be more foolish than I still am. I blush. Again.

«I didn't expect it.» Our eyes meet and I immediately look away. I lick my ice-cream, observing the modern luxury of this hospitable city. I feel his eyes on me as much as my skin feels the sunshines warming my body in this wonderful day of total relaxation. «I love this fountain, it's not like the ones in Flint.»

«What do you like about it?»

«It's big, clean, it dances. It would be cool if someone would turn on a stereo here.»

«Which song would you like to see them dance?»

I turn and I smile to his weird question. «I don't know.»

«Come on, what's your favorite song? Not something from a cartoon, please!»

I slap his hard bicep. «Shut up, cartoons are cute, you don't have to be a child to watch them, they have no advisory.»

«Right. So, what do you want them to dance?»

I take some time to think about it until I find the perfect song. «Or Nah, by SoMo.» I bite my finger in a sexy way. I probably seem a potato trying to be cute, but I don't care at all about how people see me, I only care about how I feel.

«Bad girl.» Mikael roars ironically.

I rub my head on his shoulder and he suddenly stiffens. I try to ignore this change, keeping my smile to not ruin the moment. «What will we do in these next few days?»

«They are all dedicated to you.»

«Us.» I correct him.

«Yea,  _ us _ . We'll have fun, relax and get to know each other better. I have many projects for you and I'm sure we'll realize them all before I'll start working on my paintings, my city and my people. I'll take you to my favorite places.»

«As advertised.» I whisper, thinking about Joseph. Then the club.  _ And the lies. _

«Are you ok?» His question makes me notice I'm not smiling anymore.

«Sure!» I fret with a stupid grin on my face.

«Good, 'cause the aquarium opens at nine!» He uses the most enthusiast tone I've ever heard from him, taking me and pulling me by the arm like I would. My smile comes back in an instant.


	19. Chapter 18

The blue light colored by the water around us makes me feel in the aquarium. Walking in the glass tunnel under the fishes I would like to admire the animals swimming and living undisturbed, but his damn eyes on me don't let me.

«Don't look at me like that. You make me feel... nevermind. Just stop.» I whisper to not break the peace of the place.

«How am I looking at you?»

«You know how. With those hungry eyes and that sly smirk.»

«I don't know what you're talking about.»

«Mikael.» I pronounce his name in an annoyed tone, he should really stop.

«Ok!» He says raising his hands.

I sigh and I move my attention back to the fishes. I observe a green sea turtle swimming with his kind of arms, looking like it's flying with his green wings on us. When it arrives at his little home, my gaze moves to a little happy Axolotl. I smile at it as it walks somewhere. I can't help but think about their life, wondering how's their typical day, when Mikael takes my hand and my mind and my heart immediately go crazy again.

I would like to control my reactions to his touch, but it's hard when you have a virile devil on your side, holding your hand, watching you like his prey that is going to fuck as soon as he can.

I slow down my breath and I keep walking with him in the tunnel, feeling wet.

We arrive at a little lake where families stop to eat, sitting on the rocky edge of it. I manage to find a place to sit with Mikael, near the water. I skim my fingers over the surface of water and dry them with the grass around the little lake.

«This landscape is unique.»

«I chose the best for you.» Mikael's answer surprises me, making me realize I said my thoughts out loud.

«Sure. Thanks.» I say, lost in my celeste reflection under my fingertips.

«Katrina.» I ignore his call. «Katrina.» He repeats it louder and I turn to him, afraid to draw attention.

«What?» I look down to my feet, my palms sweating and my breath fastening. Why can't I act normal with him?  _ Maybe because nothing it's normal about both of you. _ I would like to kick my own ass everytime my consciousness worsens the situation.

«Why are you so nervous with me?»

«I don't know. You are... different from any man I've ever known. You scare me.»  _ And you arouse me like hell. _

«I know, but I don't want you to be afraid of your fear.»

My eyes automatically raise and meet his dilating pupils. «You said you want to protect me from the bad, but you're the devil in disguise. I probably can't even imagine how many suits you trashed after blood dirtied them.»

«I know. I want you to stay with me 'cause I'm the only that can protect you from the monsters of this world, our home. I'm the worst of them, nobody would ever dare to fight me, I have their respect and the ones that don't respect me are afraid of me. I'm the boss, Katrina. And you can be my Queen.»

I feel the sexual tension strengthens between us, but I can't let it win, not now. «You want me to love you. The Devil. My fear.»

«Yes.» It's simple and clear. «I feel a little less evil since I met you.» He whispers.

My eyes move from his intense gaze to his lips and suddenly he comes closer. My lips part in surprise.

_ Gabi slept with many bad boys, but she knows her limits. Seems you don't, you're going to be the girlfriend of an evil killer that never gets caught for his crimes, pay attention to not make him angry! _

I bite half of my bottom lip, our heads move in the desperate search of intimate contact, our noses brushes. I close my eyes.

_ You are a shame for your family, mom and dad just wanted the best for you and you left them _ ,  _ refusing the poor Larry, quitting your job. You ruined everything they built for you just to be free. Are you happy now? You have your so desired man; he likes your pain, I wonder how your little body will survive to his tortures. He will beat you. Worse: he will destroy you. Or maybe you will destroy yourself, since you're not able to take care of yourself. _

He wipes a tear off my cheek and I quickly move away, opening my eyes.

«Why are you crying?» His deep voice snaps me back to reality. His eyes analyze my expression.

I shake my head, moving my hair behind my ears, then moving them on my face to hide.

«I'm not crying. Let's go.» I walk away without waiting for his answer.

_ I'm not an angel and he's not a demon. He's the Devil and I love him. If you don't like it, go fuck yourself. _

I smile to myself, dedicating my middle finger to the little me in my head.

But I'm not confident yet, not enough to be sure I can really accept his nature, not enough to control my heart nor my mind.

My lips start trembling and my smile turns in to something else.

_ I can't control them, but I won't let them control me. _

Talking with Mikael is a healthy habit. I don't remember the last time I've had smiled all day, if there has ever been one time I did. The more I open to him and experience emotions, the more I feel good with him.

He bought me a wonderful light blue chiffon dress with a V-neck and a side slit which I've paired white heels with lace up. It's the first time I choose how to dress for an important event, mom always chose every clothes for me and dad always checked they covered every part of my body. They would turn pale seeing me wearing this dress: it's elegant and formal, but it definitely doesn't cover all my body.

I hope I chose well my outfit, Mikael didn't tell me anything about the event but that's a surprise dedicate to me.

«I'm dying of curiosity.» I grab Mikael's suit as I climb the stairs with my stupid heels.

«I know, love.» He tries to help me.

Finally, after walking for half an hour on the Las Vegas Strip and reaching - counting all the stairs I've done, I suppose it's - the heaven, we walk on a large and empty terrace that it's probably bigger than my parents' house in Flint and decorated like a luxury beach.

I immediately leave Mikael to run and look down at the panorama. What I see makes my jaw drops and my eyes confusing the reality with my daydreams.

The big crowd moves chaotically, everyone tries to find a spot near the railing to see the wonder, squeezing in or watching over people's shoulders. My eyes slowly move like a camera from the people to the Bellagio Fountains, big as a lake.

«You remembered it.» I whisper.

Mikael's arm lands on my shoulders as he positions himself at my side. «That you like big dancing fountains? How could I forget something so unique? Women always ask me for holidays, jewelry...»

«I don't wanna hear about your past loves, Mikael.» I stop him. «My parents would have forgotten my words in a day, or maybe just ignored them. But you remembered them.»

«I saw the happiness in your eyes and your enthusiasm. No way I could forget it.»

I laugh to not cry. «My parents...»

«You should stop thinking about them.» He bursts out. I freeze, meeting his angry gaze that immediately sweetens with his voice. «Don't let them keep ruining your days.»

I nod. «Thank you.»

«For what? You saw nothing yet.» He smirks.

I hear a boom and as I turn I see the fountains are starting their show, "Or Nah" by SoMo playing background.

«Is this real?» I ask l, admiring them.

Their power and size surprise me as they raise over my head that I should raise to see them. The colored lights in the water follow the fountains, lighting their dance as they raise up and move rhythmically together. Sounding like loud fireworks, they move majestically, forming a choreography as they weave in the waves.

_ I'mma make you scream my name _

_ I'mma make you glad you came _

The song isn't for everyone, but all the tourists clap and scream, taking pics.

«I thought you were noble. Classy, respectful.»

He shushes me with a finger on my lips and I release a hidden tension in a breath. «I am, when I'm not angry, amused or aroused.»

«You make the rules and you don't respect them.»

«Rules are made to be broken, so now this noble man needs to tell his Queen he wants to fuck her so bad.»

I take a sharp intake of breath, biting my lip, my eyes rising to meet his.

«Don't look at me like that.» He scolds me.

«I can't stop. I desire you.» I confess, getting closer.

«Exactly.» He looks at me like he did at the aquarium, in the glass tunnel. He can't stop.  _ He desires me _ .

I hear fireworks, but I don't turn to watch them. I stare at Mikael, drowning in his grey eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This book is updated more frequently on Wattpad, where I'm more active. Please, follow me there. My nickname is @HappyKaylaMoon


	20. Chapter 19

I’m not a bad stylist as I always thought. Or as my parents always thought, I’m not sure.

I’m wearing a black bandeau top, ripped blue jeans and black combat boots. My long brown hair covers my shoulders and completes the look. I didn’t wear makeup, I feel comfortable with my natural look. I don’t think it would have lasted for long at an outdoor concert anyway, I already see many panda-like girls near the guys that are splashing water on the hot crowd as the music burns them like fire as passion is burning me and Mikael sitting near the fire camp on the beach.

«You’re really calm. I would like to learn to be in peace with myself like you are, but at the same time I want to dance in the crowd and have fun at the concert. Don’t you wanna have fun?» I secretly admire his profile as he watches the sunset, keeping my head turned toward the sun as my eyes stare at him on my side.

«I don’t like chaos.» He answers briefly.

«Just it?» I feel like he’s hiding something from me and I don’t like it.

«Just it.» He shrugs.

Why does he want to stay here alone? There’s something he’s avoiding. Something I will find out.

«All right, keep your secrets.» I raise up. If he wants me to be his Queen, he can’t have secrets with me. I run to the crowd.

«What the... Where the hell are you going?!» I hear him swearing loudly behind me.

I turn, walking backward. «I’m going to discover what you’re hiding from me.»

«Nothing! I just...» He stammers, starting some phrases he can’t end. «I’m... trying to protect you.» He shakes his head, knowing I won’t believe his stupid lies.

«Good. Catch me before some drunk man can raise his dirty hands on me!» I joke, but I understand I found the secret as he clenches his jaw and I see the anger in his eyes.

He’s jealous. Oh my God, someone is jealous of me! I need to live the moment. I jump in the crowd like an enthusiast little girl and I clumsily squeeze myself to move towards a high rock where some girls are dancing.

Trying to walk a little faster, I trip over something and I lose the balance. I grab a t-shirt and I hear the cloth tearing as I fall on the ground. Shit, I’m a mess. I feel the heat in my cheeks growing like hell.

«Thanks, it’s really hot here.» I recognize his voice, and his humor.

«Joseph? I didn’t know you were going here too!»

He grabs my arm and pulls me up easily in a fast motion. «Where else could you find a type of idiot like me?»

I chuckle, then I notice the three girls behind him, giving me angry eyes. «I need to go, Mikael is chasing me. Bye!»

«What? Wait...»

I run away, jumping to see where I am in the crowd, and I finally reach the high rock with the girls. I climb it and as I start dancing I accidentally hit one of the girls with my hip, pushing her on the edge of the rock. With a dramatic expression, I watch her losing the balance and rolling on the rocks to the ground, bouncing like a giant sausage.

«Sorry!» I scream. I would help her if I wasn’t so excited.

I move all my body, enjoying the music; the excitement doesn’t let my cheeks flush, I’m not embarrassed at all and that’s wonderful, I feel free. The song playing is “Sucker for Pain” by Imagine Dragons.

«Hey, black top! You’re breathtaking!» Someone screams and I immediately search for him in the crowd. I find a skinny shirtless man with glasses waving his hand to me. He seems really confident. I run to him, my lips spreading in a big smile.

«Hi, I’m Katrina. Friends call me Cat.» I shake his hand.

«Hi Cat, you can call me Chris.» He grins at me and he grabs my wrist to drag me in the crowd.

After some cocktails - maybe too many - and jokes, we’re ready to dance.

He moves like an old man with backache as I shake the fat parts of my body that for the first time I appreciate.

«You’re a sexy chick!» The drunk version of Chris is unnerving me, but I keep nodding. I can’t let him go, I feel Mikael’s jealous eyes on me and in spite of the nice girl I am I love the sensation of being loved enough to make someone go crazy for me.

I turn my back to Christ and I bend forwards, trying to keep the balance as I twerk on the bulge in his pants. Suddenly I can’t feel him anymore.

«Chris?» As I turn I see him on the ground, his hands dirty with blood covering his nose as he screams. «Oh my God! Don’t worry Chris, I call an ambulance. Help!» I shout, but the reaction of the crowd at what just happened shocks me. Some people take pics, some just laugh and others ignore us. I recognize a face among the others dedicating an evil smile to me: it’s the girl I pushed down the rock. I would like to break her perfect teeth with a punch... wait, what? This is not me. I raise my trembling hand and I look at them, feeling guilty for something I just wanted to do. Suddenly I hear Chris screaming louder and as I turn Mikael’s fist is hitting his face again.

«Mikael, stop! Please!» I try to take his arm, my anger making me feel stronger than him, but when I get close his elbow hits my cheek and I fall back. My fury turns into fear in an instant. I immediately raise up, my heart pounding in my chest, and I see Joseph pushing Mikael away, a hand on his chest. I try to see Mikael’s face, but it looks like he’s trying to hide it as Joseph talks to him. All I want to do is run away and let the tears roll on my cheeks, but I hold them and I stand up to get a little bit closer and listen to Joseph as the crowd around us slowly disbands.

«You’re scaring her away. You’ll lose her if you keep behaving like this.»

Mikael tells him something, but I can’t hear it.

I hear Joseph’s answer. «You asked me for help; I don’t want to change you, I’m trying to stop you from being a monster. You are bad, but there’s something good in you and you can’t let the darkness win over the light when Katrina is with you. I know how much you love her, I won’t let you ruin what you have together.»

«Our souls are made to be one.» Mikael’s deep, husky voice reaches my ears.

«That’s the spirit, bro! Come on, take a drink, I’ll stay with her.» Joseph pats his shoulder and comes to me.

His words make me grin, but I gulp when I see the fear in his eyes when he sees me.

«Is everything ok?» I ask him.

He stares at my injured cheek. «You have to...» He caresses it, then looks at my blood on his fingers. «You have to cover the cut.» He presses a napkin on it and I take a sharp breath through my teeth as the pain extends thanks to his inexistent grace.

«Thanks.» I say, the napkins staying glued to my cheek.

Joseph seems to come back to his senses as he glares at me. «You wanted to fuck that idiot in the middle of the concert?» He points at Chris, surrounded by doctors.

«Don’t scream!» I look around to be sure nobody is listening as I blush.

«Nobody gives a shit about us here. Don’t be provocative, don’t play with Mikael’s heart, it’s like playing with fire.»

«Mind your business, you’re not my babysitter and I’m not a child.»

«Good, so don’t act like one! And I’m not scolding you, I’m just trying to give you some suggestions since I’m your friend. I know you love Mikael and I want you to be happy with him. You’re the worst couple I’ve ever seen and I wanted to stop you from being together, but I resigned, now I just wanna do my best to help you have the most normal relationship possible or at least stop you from trying to kill each other and destroy your life.»

He’s speaking facts, I can’t deny it. «Ok, I’ll try to not make him jealous.»

«Try?»

«He would be able to be jealous of you, it’s hard to stay away from the danger.»

He rolls his eyes. «Right.»

Everybody’s dancing as the night is coming. I turn to the bar: Mikael is sipping his drink, staring at me with an unreadable expression.

I walk to him, feeling Joseph’s curious eyes on me. I take a drink - complete with a toothpick umbrella that I roll with my tongue. «I’m not sorry.» I confess.

Mikael keeps staring at me intensely, silent.

Picking the napkin from my face, I clean my skin from the blood, resisting the pain. «I like the jealous Mikael. I’m not sorry for what I have done, and what you did.»

I see the corners of his mouth resisting to raise and I can’t help but snort and then laugh at his stupid resistance. He bursts out laughing too.

«You’re the craziest girl I’ve ever met.» He says as I wipe my tears off the corner of my eyes.

«And you’re the best thing ever happened to me.» I confess.

I’m ready to kiss him, surprising him, but he seems to lose himself in some serious thoughts.

«Fuck, we’re late.»

«What? What are you talking about?»

«The restaurant. I reserved a table for us in a five-star restaurant, we need to be there in the minutes.» He bends his arm, inviting me to run at the restaurant with him. I'm glad he didn’t grab my wrist and ordered me to follow him. The more I’m bad, the less he is. Your nemesis is the only one that can balance you. We will find our balance together.

I put my arm on his and we run in his black Ferrari.

A waiter in smoking makes us sit near a glass wall where we can see a wonderful panorama of Las Vegas.

«Stunning.» I comment as I put my jacket - well, his jacket, I was shaking like a leaf and he put his jacket on my shoulders - on the back of my chair.

«I’m happy you like it. I already ordered the dinner for both.»

«What have you ordered?» A waiter delivers two plates of great-looking meat to our table at the exact moment I ask this. I don’t waste time and I bite the meat. «You chose great.» I say, chewing.

«As always.» He raises his eyebrows, smiling.

I stick out my tongue to my narcissist man.

There are many sauces on the table. I choose one and I put it on my meat. I take a bite of it. It tastes good. Until it starts burning my mouth like fire. I stick out my tongue, using my hand as a fan while I drink some cold water. Mikael laughs at me.

«It’s not funny, you stupid Sex God!»

He laughs harder. After catching his breath, he puts the sausage on his meat. «Let’s play a game. We can make questions to each other, who doesn’t answer have to take a bite of the spicy meat.»

«I’m in!»

«Good. Do you think you are strong?»

«I’m strong inside.»

«What do you mean?»

«It means that if you punch me I’ll cry like a baby, if you insult me I’ll punch you in the face.»

«Damn, I love this girl!» I jump as Joseph appears from nothing and delivers us a wine. With the elegant smoking he’s wearing I barely recognize the idiot that scared me to death our first meeting.

Mikael glares at him. «I didn’t know you work here.»

«I didn’t until I discovered the big boy I need to keep an eye on was coming here.»

Mikael gives me a bored eye grabbing Joseph’s neck. I shrug, holding a smile.

«Is this your way to thank me for stopping you from losing your human?» As he chokes, I don’t understand well his last word. I think he said woman.

Mikael releases him, rolling his eyes as Joseph adjusts the bow on his neck.

«Bon appetite.» Joseph walks away giving Mikael a side eye that he totally ignores.

«I thought you were a good girl.» He says, surprising me.

«I am, until someone touches the people I love or bothers me. It’s hard to make me angry, but you have a talent in it, you’re also more skilled than Diana! Maybe I’m not so nice, sometimes I imagine to stab you and end this... experience.»

«You can’t even say if this experience is a dream or a nightmare, you would never hurt me. You are pure, you would hurt someone only for defensive purposes. Your turn.» His last sentence confuses me until I remember about the game.

«Right. How is your family?»

He looks out the glass wall, lost in his thoughts. «My parents are dead. I have no one, the rest of my family hates me. They always hated me, they couldn’t accept what I was. So I got my revenge, if I didn’t they would have hated me anyway. That’s all.»

I’m curious, but the topic seems to hurt him and I don’t wanna go too deep and ruin the day. «I’m sorry.»

«Don’t be. Now I have you.» He takes my hand and I smile.

«Your turn.»

«What do you think about me?»

The only reason I don’t want to answer to his question is that I don’t have an opinion on him. I don’t know who he is nor if he’s just a monster or the best villain of my story I’ve ever known nor if he loves me. All I know is that I love him and he’s the sexiest man living on Earth.

I take a bite of meat and I slowly die, spitting fire, as he laughs at me.

«My turn!» I think fast of a question he would never answer. «Why do you tell me lies you don’t want me to believe in?»

He knows what I’m talking about. Vampires, Witches, Werewolves, the magical part of this world.

«They aren’t lies.» He says, luckily still smiling, then eats a piece of meat.

I wait for a drastic reaction, but he just chews the food, swallows and smiles.

«Oh, are you kidding me?!»

He bursts out laughing. «I’m used to saucy recipes.»

«Trickster.» I cross my arms as he pours the wine Joseph gave us in one of my glasses, then in his.

«I personally chose the wine.» He raises his glass. «What do you want for our relationship?»

I take my time to think about that, rolling the glass between my fingers. «I hope our emotions will always keep us together. Hate too.» I raise my glass too, but he moves back his.

«I hope our mad, passionate love settles into an unbreakable bond of trust, honesty and respect.»

«I hope our love will give us freedom.»

«I hope our love will free our souls.» He finally clinks our glasses.

I take a long sip of wine and closing my eyes to enjoy its sweet taste I say my thoughts out loud. «Delicious, as I expected.»


	21. Chapter 20

_ She's screaming at me like she's dying. Katrina would never do this, she would give up, forgetting about the whole world, to drown in the darkness with me. Humans never let it go, but Katrina has the talent to love and the power to feel her soul's desires. _

_ I thrust in this whore with all my strength trying to imagine she's my sweet Katrina. If only she could stop screaming... Fuck, I can't stand her shrill voice. I lean on her, bent on the dumpster in the silent street, and I force my fangs into the delicate flesh of her neck, moving them inside to let the blood flow faster and easier in my mouth. I can imagine her pain as her screams of fear loudens, this makes me harder. My poison flowing out from my teeth paralyzes her. I clean my teeth with my tongue, enjoying the taste of her blood with my eyes closed, then I reach her hear. «That's the deal: you'll be my Katrina until I'll make you cum, then I'll make you the favor to kill you fast.» She stares at me wide-eyed and I smile, patting her shoulder. _

_ I close my eyes and I touch the bitch's body, the most similar to Katrina's I found around, then I open her pussy with one strong thrust. _

I can't keep reading. What he's doing it's horrible and I hope the fantasy elements aren't some sort of fetish, I can't even imagine the terror that poor prostitute felt when she saw his vantablack eyes, and I feel ashamed to desire his dirty hands on me, right now. I need to close his damn book and take a walk to think about us, but the lust win over my brain and my hand slip again in my panties. My cold fingers bother me, but not enough to stop. I close my eyes and I imagine my fingers are his. I move them slowly and the pleasure slowly grows becoming torture, until I start massaging the center of my flower faster.

«I knew leaving you alone wasn't a good idea.»

I immediately move my hand further away from my sex.

«I was just reading your book.»

He reaches my bed in two strides and moves on the bed, on my laying body, raised on his strong arms to not crush me under his weight.

I can't stop staring at his eyes while his limbal rings expand and his eyes become vantablack.

He growls at me, curling his top lip. «I'm the only one that can give you pain and pleasure.»

I reply with an involuntary moan, blushing. I raise my hand to cover my face, but he pins them over my head crushing my small wrists with one hand while the other makes his way under my shirt.

I feel bare under his angry eyes. His fingertips hit my bra and I wince. I don't have time to catch my breath, both his hands push my bra over my breasts and caress my skin cupping them, my nipples hardens under his touch. All my body pushes itself up to feel his body on mine as I struggle to keep my arms up and resist to wrap my legs around his hips, I know he's dominant. His hands gently rub my breasts, then he suddenly pinches my hard nipples and I feel a shock starting under his fingertips and expanding in every part of my body. I raise to kiss him, but he pushes me down. I meet his hungry eyes and I wait, hoping he can feel where I need his hands.

He does. His hand slips in my pants on my panties causing me to suck my breath, and his finger starts torturing me with slow circular motions. As I try to move my hand, he immediately leaves my breasts to pin it over my head again, starting to use his palm to massage my pelvis as his finger keeps gently stroking my sex.

I thought my first time with a man would have been a mixture of pain, embarrassment and mistakes of an inexperienced girl like me. I was goddamn wrong. All I feel is lust and love.

He's moving too slow, the pleasure turns in torture. «Please...» I whisper.

«What? Do you want me to go faster?»

I nod and he smirks.

«Tell it. Tell me what you want.»

_ Does he really want me to humiliate myself? Stupid question, Katrina. He wants it. The real question is: does it worth it to humiliate yourself for him? _

I move my hand on his cheek and he takes my writs, but this time I resist to keep my hand on his skin, his short beard pricking my palm. He doesn't push my hand back, probably feeling my resistance.

I stare in his eyes. «I want you to make me feel your Queen.» I don't recognize my voice, deeper and raspier than usual. I feel my cheeks flushing as I see the desire in his eyes.

«You like the bad me. I know you do, you can't deny it.»

«It turns me on.» I admit. «The real mystery is: how can you like a good girl like me?»

Our eyes never separate. «Light's beauty is in Darkness. You're the most sensitive girl I've ever met and I can see the best of you, I'm a monster. We are the two opposite extremes, nobody else could see our true self but us looking in each other's eyes.»

I bite my bottom lip and his eyes move on it.

I can't hold myself anymore.

My hands immerse in his rebels curls as his warm tongue tastes my neck, my legs wrap around his hips and I feel his hardness on my sex until his hand makes a way in my pants and strokes my sensitive part fast enough to make me feel pleasure again.

«Cum for me, Katrina.» His breath stings my ear, his words have control over me more than I've ever had.

As he applies more pressure to my sensitive flower, I feel I'm going over the edge. As a little bit of embarrassment wakes my brain, I try to stop his hand, but luckily it's too late and he sends me in the oblivion. When I come back, all I can think about is him. I feel every future vision without him being banished from my mind. He's my world right now and he will be the most important thing in my life forever, he conquered a place in my heart and there's no way I'll ever forget him. No matter what will happen between us, I will love him or hate him, but I will never be able to kick him out of my life again. I couldn't bear to live a single day without him.

All my body relaxes, I look at the ceiling and I let out a little laugh, catching my breath.

«You are a sex god. I knew it.» I can't stop smiling until I fell his body leaving the bed. I raise on my elbows. «Where are you going?»

He walks to the door. «I'm going to sleep. Don't force me to watch over you also during the night.»

Before he can walk away, I pathetically threaten him. «You better don't, I could give myself pleasure and you would lose all the show.»

He chuckles. «I'm sure you don't even have the energy to touch yourself right now.»

My legs are still shaking from the orgasm and I struggle to keep my eyes open. I can't lie. «Please, stay with me.» I beg him, feeling miserable. I don't want to sleep alone, I need to fall asleep and wake up with his strong arms around my waist.

With a neutral expression, he runs his eyes all over my body, then he walks away.

«Mikael!» I whimper. As I can't hear his steps anymore I feel ashamed, but I refuse to cry.  _ It's been a wonderful night, I had my first time. It's everything ok. Now I'll sleep and tomorrow I'll wake up and I'll see him again. _

A tear rolls on my cheek when I realize tonight his lips never touched mines.


	22. Chapter 21

«The spiral stairwells were always turned clockwise, swordsmen were usually right-handed and they couldn't lead with their sword arm while the residents would have easily fought them with their dominant hand coming from the inside. Do you see the sconces? They are inclined. Most of them were levers to open secret passages, like this one.» He moves one of the torches and a wall falls down.

Our holiday as a confused couple is going great. I've never done so many things and visited so many places in all my life, I can't believe he's showing me a new stunning world in just a few weeks. I can't hold my enthusiasm, climbing the stairs of this ancient castle in Romania where many vampires lived. I wonder how the vampire's myth has been created, all I know is that two poor men were cursed because of their forbidden love.

«You know a lot about castles.» I take a look at the secret passage. I don't wanna find out how many spiders are there, I'll stay out of that.

«I lived in some castles. I love their structure.»

«You'd like to feel like a real King?»

«I am a King. And no, I don't use castles to live in a dream. It's more like a hide secrets and being surrounded by hidden weapons thing.»

«Cool. What's this?» I look at a noose inside the secret passage on the floor.

«Don't take another step towards it.» He warns me. I fastly move my shoulder back as he tries to grab my arm.

«Katrina, come here.»

I enter the spiders' home and I get close to the rope to observe it... and get revenge on Mikael.

«Oh, you don't want me to touch this noose?»

He sighs, catching the childish hint in my voice. «You are angry about the last night, right?»

I cross my arms, taking another step towards the rope.

«I rarely sleep with my women.» He hardly says it, like it's a confession of some sort of sin. It surprises and confuses me, I let my arms fall on my sides.

«You sleep with a woman before having sex with her. It's a basic love non-written rule.»

«I've never been in love. Not with someone I could be close to.» He looks away, seeming lost in his thoughts, but the moment lasts only some seconds. His eyes come back to me, full of anger. «Come here, now.»

«No.» I spit and I clearly see the surprise on his face.

«I don't like when my women say me  _ no _ .»

Jealously prick me like a pin in the heart. «Get used to it, I'm not like your other women.» I step in the noose. One second later I'm hanging upside down. I start moving my legs and my arms and I'm pretty sure I look like an angry character from a cartoon. «Take me down!» I scream at him as he smiles at me, tilting his head.

«I told you.» He scolds me with a smirk.

Unluckily for him, my brain doesn't work so well upside down. «I said, take me down!» I scream as loud as I can.

«Ok.» He shrugs, grabbing the rope and pulling it down.

I see some wires breaking and I panic, showing my palms to stop him. «That's not what I meant!» He pulls the rope again and my heart jumps as other wires breaks. «No, no, no!»

«I don't like when my women say me  _ no _ .» He tears the rope and I fall on my back, groaning.

I look at him and for the first time I listen to my not-so-nice heart, letting the little me in my head speaking for me. «Thank you, fucking bastard.» I try to catch my breath between the words.

«No problem, love.» He smiles and I turn a stupid chuckle in cough.

I take his hand and he helps me to stand up, then he holds me to see some paintings like a baby.

«When will you show me your paintings?» I ask, observing an interesting portrait of a dragon.

«You mean my meaningless art? Never.» He looks offended, but I know he's not. He knows I wasn't speaking the truth.

«I was angry when I said that portrait was meaningless, it was a terrible night and you forced me to dance with you!»

«So?»

«So show me your paintings 'cause I think you are a great artist.»

«I didn't hear the magic word.»

I roll my eyes. «I'm sorry.»

«Good.»

We walk calmly near the giant windows as I wait for his confirmation that doesn't come.

«Now will you show me your paintings?»

«No.»

_ Excuse me? _ I resist screaming at him, but my face is the mirror of my thoughts and I can't control my expression. «Why?»

«There's something else you have to do if you want to see my paintings.»

I don't wanna show him he's succeeding in unnerving me, but I'm too tired of his mysteries. I stop in front of him, forcing him to stop walking. «What do you want me to do?»

He provokes me with his sexy half smile. Everytime he does it I know I won't have control over myself anymore. «I was right and you were wrong.»

«Oh.» I feel the heat in my cheeks growing fast. He wants me to humiliate myself again?  _ Seriously? _ I struggle to look straight in his eyes and I say it. «I was wrong and you were right.» My shaky voice worsens my embarrassment.

He stands in front of me, looking sexy without even move or talk while I'm dying inside, trying to hide it.

«Good. I'll show you my art.»

I silently take a sigh of relief and start walking again as my body relaxes and the tiredness makes my knees shake.

Mikael has another surprise for me, but I won't see it until tonight.

It's evening and we decided to relax doing something normal and simple: admiring Las Vegas from the Stratosphere Tower. I take another Margarita and before it could reach my lips Mikael takes the glass from my hand.

«It's the fourth. Getting drunk isn't a healthy habit.» He scolds me.

«Shut up. Don't tell me what I can't do, I'm an adult.» I try to take the glass, but he moves it away.

«And I'm your boyfriend. I can worry about you.»

I look at him, a little sad and surprised by his kindness. Where has this sweet, gentle Mikael been all this time? I like the version of him I'm knowing in these days. I don't say this out loud, I don't wanna risk provoking his dark side.

I give him puppy eyes, but he doesn't give up, drinking my Margarita in a fast sip.

Suddenly a memory pops out in my mind. My mother telling me all the reasons I shouldn't drink alcohol. I feel a sharp twinge of pain in my heart like it cracked. I miss my family: my parents, my sister and my best friend.

«Are you ok, dear?» Before I can open my mouth, he delicately grabs my wrist. «Don't lie to me.»

I sigh. «You were right. I need to forget about my parents until I'll be totally independent. I don't hate them, I hate what they are through others' eyes. People keep scolding me for being angry at them, they say I'm ungrateful, that I'm lucky to have two living lovely parents. They have no idea of who they really are, how is it to live with them, to be considered their property.» I smile to hold the tears. «They are overprotective, sometimes they drive me crazy with all their orders and pretensions. I know my situation isn't the worst, but...»

«You don't have to justify yourself for telling the truth. Don't think about who's in a worse situation than you: it doesn't make you feel better and holding all the pain inside to respect someone in the world that feels worse than you won't help anybody and will make you feel worse and cause more pain. You have the right to suffer and shout your problems to the world 'till you'll feel better.»

I use the time of his talk to calm down, then I keep opening myself to him. «All the people that think my family is perfect don't understand how it feels when someone every single thing in your life. They don't care about going deeper to see the reality, they just want to judge me for my feelings, to say I'm wrong.»

«What's the worst thing they've ever done to you?»

«My mother discovered my biggest fear and used it against me to make me do what she wanted.»

«What's your biggest fear?»

I look at him in the eyes, tired of hiding my pain. He wipes a tear off my cheek, staring at me intensely. I trust him. I love him. «Love. My biggest fear is love. My parents, the only people I blindly trust, would be disposed to ruin my life just to make me do whatever they want and keep me as their little girl. When I refused to work with Larry they closed me at home until I accepted the job. I couldn't get out, I couldn't use anything they bought me because it was their property, they didn't talk to me and they didn't let me call anyone. They ignored all my cries and every missed meal, they knew I would have accepted to do what they wanted.»

«You felt alone, isolated from the world and from yourself, and you gave up. It's psychological torture.»

I nod. «I thought they were depriving me of their love, but since I met you I feel like I never really knew what love is. All I know is I had a terrible experience with the kind of love I knew. My biggest fear is love, loving you is a jump into the unknown.» I pause, unsure of what I'm going to say. «Please, don't hurt me. You can and I know you want, but if you love me don't do it.» I cry.

He cups my face, I see the lust in his eyes that runs to my parted lips.

«You're beautiful after you cry. There's peace in your lucid eyes, you bless my soul.»

I smile. «I'm not so peaceful, I need to apologize for this. I lose the patience easily and I'm childish...»

«Ssh.» He hushes me, his finger delicately touches my lips making me lose my mind. «You're cute when you're angry, you don't have to apologize for being yourself. I like who you are exactly how you are.»

We stare in each others' eyes and I'm sure at this moment our thoughts are the same.

We are opposites, both broken by love, now our savior. Our love is the only one that heals our wounds and will last forever. It can turn into hate, but whatever it will become, it will never end.

I feel the tension becoming unbearable, if I don't do something I'll end up doing forbidden things in public with him.

I move my attention to the panorama. «I miss my family anyway. Can I at least call Gabriela with my phone?»

A long silence stops my heart.

The answers come late and it doesn't even make me feel better. «No, not yet.»

I don't dare to protest. He's giving me the world, he knows me and what I want and need, I won't risk ruining the "us" we created.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, readers! I hope you're enjoying my story!  
> Knowing that someone is reading my creation makes me really happy, seriously. That's why I would like to ask you to comment with just "I'm reading!" on this chapter. Make me aware that you're here, loving Katrina and Mikael as much as I do! This is the best gift you can do for me.  
> Thanks! <3


	23. Chapter 22

I walk like a soldier to not stumble on something and fall as the clumsy, fat potato I am.

«Where are we going?» I hear music from afar and some children screaming, their thin voices getting louder as they run past me.

«I found the place that perfectly reflects your personality.»

I smile, moving my arms towards as Mikael's hands keep covering my eyes. When he stops and moves his palms away from my eyes, I exhale all the air in my lungs as I admire all the colored lights of the amusement park. I give him a little laugh, turning.

«It's wonderful.» He's rich, nevertheless he gives me everything money can't buy, everything I want. Love, attention, wonderful visions that blows my mind. All I miss is his dark secret... but I won't insist, one day he'll be ready to tell it to me and our souls will bound always and forever.

As I watch the attractions, the child in me wakes up. «You want me to be your Queen and you take me to the little princesses' realm. Seriously?» I play with him.

I love it when he games, it's actually my favorite side of the noble and constantly angry Mikael. «This park isn't just for children. They can't go on the roller coaster, nor in the horror maze. They can't shoot to the cans and win a plush!»

«But you can.» He gives me a sly half smile, looking like a diabolic kid up to mischief.

«I can.» He strides to a small kiosk and I have to make little jumps to stay at his side. He pays for five bullets and there are five cans.

I burst out laughing. «Do you really think you can shot them all with just...»

One bullet hit the first can. Just a second later the second can falls like the first. The corners of my mouth turn down as the other three cans meet the same end.  _ How is it possible? _

The man behind the counter gives me a giant plush which face's bigger than mine. I hide my rosy cheeks behind it, raising my eyes to look at my skilled favorite villain.

«You never cease to amaze me.» I say, hiding my smile behind the cotton.

«Thank me with your smile, baby.»

I feel my heart melting. «When did you become so sweet?»

«When I started wanting you.» He was right about me: I'm great at understanding people. I see his jaw clenching and a fight in his eyes as he answers me.

_ There's something inhuman deep inside him _ ,  _ I feel it... _ but I have no time to overthink it, 'cause he offers me his bent arm.

We go on an enormous ferris wheel and I feel the need to look down as our cabin starts rising.

«Come here.» His hands grab my hips and pull me sit on him.

I let my head relaxes on his shoulder, as I meet his hypnotic eyes my lips parts. «A gentleman doesn't take his woman like this.»

«I told you, Katrina, I'm not a gentleman when I'm angry, amused or aroused. I'm all of these now.»

«Why are you angry?» I ignore the other adjectives since we are together in an amusement park.

«You still hides yourself to me. I want the key to your heart.»

«Look who's talking.» I scoff.

«I can't let myself completely love someone, love can easily become a weakness if you trust the wrong person, or if your woman's life is threatened by your enemies.» As he looks down I regret my answer. «You're afraid to be loved. It's different. Mine is a choice, yours is a problem.»

«Are you sure yours is a choice?»

«Women would give their life for a night with me. A King can't have weaknesses, especially love.»

He's saying he will never let himself love and trust me, pretending that I do it with him. He was serious, he believes he can be loved without love. This makes me furious.

I slide a finger under his jaw, looking straight in his eyes. «You feel lonely. You can fuck all the bitches you want, but that won't make you feel loved as the monster in you pretend to be. I will find your darkness and save you from yourself. Unconditional Love will make you stronger. My love will.»

His hand quickly grabs my wrist, my lips parts in surprise and his eyes look down to them. «You like to play with fire, don't you?»

«Ops, did I piss you off?»

«Shut up.»

_ Don't let him win. _ He pins a lock of hair behind my ear.  _ I will discover his secret. _ As he gets closer, I smell his wild scent, I would describe it as a Jasmine incense: exotic, intense, sensual and a little bit sweet.  _ I can't _ ...  _ resist _ .  _ I will discover his secret. He will love me. But not tonight, I don't need anything to kiss him right now. _ I crash my lips against his. I'm hungry for him, but he tortures me with slow and delicate movements. His hand caresses my cheek and then I feel his teeth pricking my bottom lip. I moan, trying to break the kiss, but his tongue fights to lick my wound and I let him as the pain mixes with a new sensation of pleasure. As it grows, I become hungry for his passionate kiss again and his tongue dominates me, expertly exploring my mouth, while his left hand plays with my hair pulling them and pushing my head to control me as his right arm grabs and pulls me to him.

Suddenly he pulls my head back. «You are mine.» He articulates every word, I feel his warm breath on my lips. I don't open my eyes, I know what I would see: the darkness in his eyes, the blood on his lips. Seeing it would break the magic of this moment, I can't ruin it with my curiosity.

«I'm yours.» I say the last letters in his mouth, the taste of blood and B-52 shot makes my whole body enjoy the deep, aggressive kiss even more. When our lips separate leaving some stings of blood down my chin, I meet his vantablack eyes. That's the monster. Whatever he is, he's the only one that frees me from everything. My parents, my low self-esteem, my life, myself. When he's with me, I can barely think. I just want to play with him in every way to feel strong emotions.

«We are in the highest position of the wheel. Don't you wanna see the panorama?» He asks.

«No. You're the best view.» I smile.

We keep kissing until our cabin ends its ride, then we go to eat - or should I say play with - cotton candy.

Tomorrow Mikael will start working. I wonder how much time will he spends out and what's his job, I don't know it and all he says about it is that he has  _ new paintings to make and sell _ and his  _ King's business to run _ .

I hug my giant bunny plush, smelling his cotton candy's scent after we battled with it. I hope he won't work all day, I couldn't bear to have only nights to enjoy with him.

«What do you like to do? What do you want? What's your biggest dream?»

I raise up to admire him leaning on the door of my bedroom, lighten only by the light in the corridor. «All I want is you.»

«You have to think about yourself sometimes, Katrina.» A shock rushes in my body as he pronounces my name, my heart skips a beat. «What did you like to do when you were a kid? What did you want to become?»

I think about his words and some memories pop up in my mind. «My mother always kept me grounded. I never fantasized a lot. It was supposed to promise me a great future, but poor people stay poor, she trained me to be the best version of myself for the society and she prepared me to accept the worse it could give me. I stopped dreaming soon.»

«There have to be something you love to do, something that makes you happy. I want you to love yourself, you need it to be completely free and happy with me.»

«I don't know, I used to work and sleep, bear bad people and read bestsellers. I'm not even ambitious...» I hold a smile when I notice I'm talking about the past. My life isn't like that anymore, I feel good, and it's thanks to Mikael.

He laughs and I give him a confused gaze. «At the party you sought for the best. By the way, I like ambitious women.»

I roll my eyes. «Narcissist.» I smile and thinking about his self-portraits I recall the Italian teacher scolding me for isolating myself. I was shy and the other kids bullied me because of the many recommendations from my mom and the way she dressed me, so everyday during the breaks I liked to hide in a little square angle of the class and write poems to put my emotions on paper and feel peaceful, forgetting about all the noises in the class until the teacher scolded me.

«Poems?»

I wake up from the trance and I instinctively take Mikael's ring off. «Did you just...»

«Guessed? Yea.»

«No kidding. There was no way you could guess it.»

He laughs and closes the door behind him. The moon lights the room enough to let me see his figure getting close. How someone so handsome can be so scary?

He sits on the edge of the bed and I lay down, feeling safe with my monster protecting me. «Write a poem for me. I'm curious about what's hiding in your mind and your heart.»

«I need to be inspired.»

He lays over me, raising on his elbows to not crush me. «I can inspire you.»

I give him a baby smile, my chubby cheeks raises. «Thank you for dedicating your precious time to me, King.» I wrap a rebel lock of his curls around my finger, a second later my wrist is trapped in his hand. I let out a little laugh.

«You're testing my patience, cutie.» He gifts me a little smile, clenching his jaw. I admire his perfect jawline.

«Great. I don't like it when you're angry, but it seems the only way I have to find out your dark secret.»

«Katrina...» He warns me, his expression turning angry.

«You taught that kiss could make me forget about our problems? You couldn't be more wrong. We are a couple, I will discover whatever is stopping you to love me and get rid of it.»

«That's me, what I am, who I am is the problem. If you want to get rid of the problem, you'll have to get rid of me and I'm sure you'll want to do it if you discover the truth, my secret.» He growls.

«I won't run away from you. Never. Whoever you are...»  _ I love you _ .

Before I can say it, he grabs my neck and pulls me up as I open my mouth, gasping. «You don't know what you're talking about!» He bursts out, yelling in my face. He pulls me up and hit my head on the wall. «You are afraid of me, Katrina. If you would know my secret you would run away and it would feel worse than a stake in my heart. You can call me monster because you do it in an innocent way, you don't know the real monster in me, but I couldn't stand to hear that word coming out your lips full of hate for me.» I resist to scratch his arms, my hands already trying to help me free.

I feel my eyes watering as he loosens the grip around my neck. I take some seconds to catch my breath, the anxiety hurting me with his behavior. «Why can't you try? I love you. I want to love every part of you, the gentleman and the beast, let me!» I cry. He hits my head

«The truth is: you can understand my nature, but you will never accept my darkness.» He growls, hitting my head on the wall again. I squeeze my eyes, moaning. A whistle blows my head for some seconds while my vision comes back from a black universe. My hands fall on my sides as I feel my body suddenly numb as if I just woke up. I slow my breathing to calm down and as I exhale Mikael frees my neck and my legs relax, letting me fall... in his strong arms. The same arms that protect me, the same arms that almost killed me a few seconds ago.

I feel the soft mattress under my back, I feel like I'm sleeping on a cloud and I can't keep my eyes open anymore. I can't decide if I'm in paradise or in hell.

I don't hear his steps. «Mikael?»

«I'm here.»

«Stay. I need you to protect me now, from... yourself.»

I hear a long silence. «I can't. I don't deserve you, how did we end up like this? I will never sleep with you, Katrina. I can't love you. You're special, you could have found a real prince, but the Hell's King found you first. Life's cruel.»

«There's light in you, Mikael.»

«No. You are my only light, Katrina. I will consume you to death while you'll try to destroy my darkness. How else could we end up?»

I sigh. «I won't destroy your darkness, I will save you from it. I just have to find your light.» I struggle to open my eyes and when I finally make it he's gone. I'm alone. «I will find your light.» I whisper to the cold wind of the night.

I turn to look at the moon and I see something that scares me.  _ Someone _ . A muscular figure is crouched on a branch of a tree, he stays still and I wouldn't have noticed him despite his bigness if the wind wouldn't have moved his short, black hair. The light of the full moon half-covered behind his body doesn't help me to identify him and the anxiety makes keeping my eyes open harder than it already is. I see him raising his hand and moving his fingers in a funny greeting before the tiredness wins over me.


	24. Chapter 23

Observing myself in the mirror I pull up the black collar to cover a part of the mauvish bruises as I make up the skin around it with the foundation. I want to forget yesterday night as soon as possible. He's giving me the world, I've any right to protest about his violence now. As Diana said: he has his unique way to love, if I want to prove him I'm able to accept his darkness and love him for what he is before saving him from himself I have to accept his aggressive behavior. _He almost killed you_ , a little voice whispers in my head. _There's nothing to worry about, he didn't really want to hurt me, he won't do it again if not for his pleasure_ , I answer to myself. _Are you sure he gave you everything?_ I roll my eyes as my subconscious tortures me. _He gave me freedom._ I hear a laugh in my head. _Is this what you call freedom?_ _You're stuck in a toxic relationship with a killer._ I pull my hair in a messy bun leaving the rebel locks free at each side of my head and I walk to Mikael's private museum, ignoring the little me keeping provoking me.

I turn many corners and get lost before finding the right door and see Mikael intensely staring at one of his paintings.

«Hey.» As he hears my voice, he immediately turns and gifts me a smile.

«You're beautiful with that messy bun and the casual outfit. I like elegance, but I have to admit that your body could be elegant with any type of clothing, its shape is perfect.»

I regret to not wore makeup feeling my cheeks heating. My mom would have hated the cute messy bun and the simplicity of my outfit: a blue short skirt and a white t-shirt. He loves it, he would love me in whatever kind of dress because he likes what's under it. I feel like he wouldn't mind if my thin arms would get bigger and my breasts would change the size, he loves me, he just doesn't want to admit it nor be completely accepted and loved. But he will, I'm sure he will, I just have to light the fire in the darkness of his heart. Dear little me, _this is freedom. I am myself with him, 'cause I can and I want it._ _And he loves me._

I give him a giant smile, my head hung down for the embarrassment but my eyes raising to meet his. «Which painting have you reserved for me today?»

«Right, which one of my meaningless paintings did I prepared to be judged?»

«I'm sorry, how many times should I repeat it before you'll forget me?»

«I never forget anyone.» He points at the painting he was staring at and its realism gives me goosebumps.

Mikael is sat on a throne of bones, a blonde woman standing to his right side and two burning men contort themselves at his feet. In the background there are rubbles and some people dead and some bowing to him. The vignette effect traps everything in a dark rectangle, but not everyone. In the darkness at Mikael's left side there's  _ that man _ .

«Oh shit, I'm late for work.» He rushes away, but I stop him, grabbing his arm.

«Mikael, who's that man?»

«Here's me. At my feet there are Daniel and Ryan, two members of my family, and the woman next to me is my sister Samantha. Now I need to go. Have fun, baby.» He kisses me on the head and he strides away.

I get closer to the painting, observing the mysterious figure. He looks like he's thinking, his hands crossed covering his mouth under the vantablack eyes and his legs opened in a relaxed and confident position. Getting closer almost enough to touch the canvas with my eyelashes, I see he's sitting on a black throne with dark red cushions. What made me notice him is his silver medium hair, evident in the darkness, the opposite of the dragon-like black wings behind him.

_ Who's him? _

I hear the keys clinking down and I rush to the window. He's going to open the door, I need to be there before!

I push open the door of my bedroom and I slip on the corridor's carpet, but I manage to keep the balance and keep running down the stairs. As I turn the corner taking the first step towards the main door and see Diana hugging a book and holding in balance a pile of plates I know I won't be able to save us. She looks at me wide-eyed and I give her an embarrassed apologizing face in time before I crash into her, making us fall and slide on the ground.

I immediately raise up, ignoring the pain in my bones. Someone laughs and my head turns immediately to the sound, meeting Joseph's amused gaze. He's reading a book on the sofa.

_ Why didn't he tried to stop me?  _ I give him a  _ what the fuck _ expression. When he just smiles, I feel a shock as I try to not strangle him. «Do something!»

«Oh, sure!» He contorts himself to take something behind the armchair. «Popcorn?» He offers me a pack of popcorn. I facepalm and I go back to Diana. I jump, the fury on her grumpy face scares the hell out of me.

«Uhm... peace?» I give her my hand as she stares at me, her eyes wide open as she stays still raised on her arms on the ground. I see a little vibration of her lips before she screams at me like a Viking and I do the same, sounding like a desperate cat as I run away. I start screaming louder as I turn and I see she's following me, then I bounce back after hitting a wall.

I immediately look around and I see the wall I hit, also called Mikael Blake, looking at me with an amused smile. «You're right, you're a total mess!»

I smile, but the calm doesn't last for long.

«She broke all the crystal plates.» Diana doesn't scream anymore, I think she's a lot more composed than usual when there's Mikael around. Nonetheless, the nerves make her resolute voice tremble.

«We can buy them again, it's not a big deal.»

«I had the diary with me.»

He looks at her intensely as I try to understand what they are talking about and why it's so important to shush Mikael. Diana looks at me, her chin up and her expression becoming cold.

«Pay attention, Katrina.»

I nod. I would like to stay serious for a while as the situation requires, but my enthusiasm makes me run to hug him. «I have a surprise for you.» I grab his wrist and pulls him to the painting he showed me this morning ignoring Diana's murdering gaze, because Mikael follows me without a word.  _ Another point for me, Diana. _

While we are walking, I notice a drop of a dark liquid falling from a corner of his soft mouth. I don't need to say anything, as I slow down and he finds my eyes he moves his thumb on the drop, sucking it in his lips. Knowing Mikael, I can tell he just tasted blood. His smirk scares me and what scares me more is that I'm attracted by his sensual gesture. If I've ever had a dark part, Mikael is bringing it out to life. I don't want to be bad, but we all need a dark side to defend ourselves and I need to find mine and accept it, Mikael can't protect me forever. I have to welcome the darkness in me, this will help me accepting Mikael's nature and be ready to discover his secret.

We will find our balance together. I'm finding my darkness and I'll find his light.

«Like the darkness doesn't make you bad, Katrina. But searching for an unexisting light makes you stupid.» He says as I pour in his eyes, asking myself which else superpower is he hiding me with his mind-reading ability.

I don't protest, I can't talk of something I'm not sure about, especially with Mr. Perfect.

I stop in front of his realistic painting and I give him the wrinkled paper I wrote my poem on.

_ Love and Freedom burn at his feet _

_ with his past behind the throne, _

_ The Light waits silently at his side _

_ to be found, _

_ Nothing exists beyond his Empire _

_ But his Power knows everything. He knows he's bad. He knows he's afraid to be bad. His Power is smart and confident, he knows Madness is destroying his strengths as he knows he can't stop it. _

_ His Power helped him and now he let the Madness rule the Empire, he can't stop the destruction, Love and Freedom are destined to fall with the past. _

_ The future is destined to fall with the past. _

_ Because the future is the past. The pain is still there, the Power has no weakness to decide what to save and it destroys everything. _

_ The past is the present. The present is the future. _

_ But you can change everything with just a feeling. _

When his grey eyes meet mines, I observe them: they are lucid, a bit of sadness can't hide from me in them. Then he turns to his painting and stuck the paper in the frame. These moments don't need words to be special. I feel my eyes watering as I look at my messy writing on his perfect art.

«Thank you, Katrina.» He takes my hand and holds it.

«Do you want me to explain the poem?»

«No, it's more explicit that you think.»

«Ok...» The question that tormented me all day finally comes out free. «Who's that man?»

«I already told you all the names, what do you wanna know?»

«I wanna know who's him.» I point at the creepy figure unwillingly hiding in the dark. I can't believe it's his intention to hide, he seems confident in that position.

«He's...» He pauses and I patiently wait as the curiosity consumes me from the inside. «He's Venom, an old friend.»

«Why is he there?»

«He helped me destroying the old order to build the new empire and start my era.» This confirms me my poem is right. Maybe I can read his mind too, someway. Maybe my dreams mean something. Maybe...

«I had a nightmare tonight. When you left the room, I think I fell asleep and I saw a man observing me out the window of my bedroom. He was...»

He looks confused as he listens to me. «I'll hire some guards to keep your room safe.» He says.

«Oh, no, it was just a bad dream. You don't have to worry.» I put my hands on his chest, but he completely ignores me, looking around intensely like he's searching for something hidden.

«I need to go.» He strides away, my arms fall at my sides.

«Wait! I thought you were free all afternoon. Please, stay with me!»

He slams the door and the following silence shatters my heart.

My porcelain heart needs some glue, and that glue is Joseph. He's looking at the moon in the cold breeze of the night in the backyard of the villa, leaning on a wood fence. I join him.

«Today's been... not one of the best with Mikael.» I say, bouncing on my heels.

«And you came here for my humorism to make it better.»

«That was my first intention, then an unpleasant thoughts came back tormenting me and now I just want to get it out of my chest.»

«Ok. What is it?»

«Why have you lied to me?» His head snaps to me, lines forming between his eyebrows in a confused expression. «I expected that from Diana, I got over the fact she hates me, but you are my friend. I trusted you.»

«I never lied to you.» I hate to hear there's no hint of irony in his tone. He really wants to fool me.

«What has really happened in the club?»

«I already told you. You drank, fucked...»

«I'm a virgin.» I confess, feeling a little bit evil and good as I corner him.

I expect to see displeasure in his eyes, but he just looks at me with confusion like his brain stopped working. «Wait, Mikael didn't fuck you yet?»

My jaw drops. «Joseph!» I slap him with no regret.

He immediately starts apologizing, like I never hit him. «Sorry! It's just too unusual to be true. He should really live you. Anyway, I was tipsy, maybe you didn't fuck with anyone. I didn't stop watching the show anyway.»

«Oh my...» His irony unnerves me now. «Can you be serious for a moment? I trusted you and you lied to me and you keep lying.»

I see his eyes finally losing the amusement as he stares at me, then takes a bottle of beer hidden in a flowerpot.

«Great, get drunk, maybe you'll tell me the truth.»

«Stop it.» He says, taking the bottle to his lips.

«Stop doing what? Asking you to be sincere with me?»

«Would you keep telling a murdered you know he killed a person?»

«You're not a murderer! Why have you lied to me?» I cry, exasperated.

«There are things you are not ready to know.»

«You are my only friend here. I want to trust you.»

He positions himself in front of me, his whole body tensed, but the anger on his face fades away as his eyes follow a tear of mine rolling down my cheek.

He sighs. «You want to know the truth? Ok.» He shrugs, but I can sense he's totally freaked out about it. «Your world is a lie. Vampires, Werewolves, Witches and many other species exist and walk among humans. Mikael is a vampire, like me and Diana.» I shake my head, letting him finish to narrate this bullshit. «In the nightclub I saved you from another vampire, Jordan. I found you in the bathroom, he almost bit you. After that, I made you forgot everything. You were too scared, I was afraid you would have seen Mikael for what he pretends to be if I didn't do it. He loves to hurt people, he's brutal and hungry of power, worthy of his race and his name, but that doesn't make him a monster. He's able to love in his own way, this is the proof deep inside he's a living creature that deserves to be loved. He deserves you, I couldn't let the revelation ruin everything. I hope it doesn't now that you know the truth.»

«The truth.» I repeat, holding an incredulous little laughter. «Do you really expect me to believe you? Are you kidding me or just drunk?»

«Don't laugh at me. I told you what you wanted to know.»

«Prove it.»

«I can't show you my true form, I would scare the hell out of you. If only Mikael would have told you this during our first dinner together everything would be easier. He's the only one that can make you believe the truth and control your fear until it will be gone.»

I look at Mikael's ring on my finger. «I know Mikael has some kind of superpowers, but... » I let out a nervous laugh. «This just can't be real. It's a trick.»

«A trick. Sure. His black eyes and his mind-reading power are just tricks, he's an illusionist.» He scoffs.

«Listen, I don't believe you. Tell me a believable truth and we can stay friends. That's all.»

«Fine, don't believe me, but remember: when you will see what he is, don't run away. If you'll show him fear, as a predator his first and only instinct will be to scare you. He needs to prove to you and himself he's the dangerous one to feel safe. If you keep treating him like a monster and hate him, the pain will drive him mad and your life will be agony. If there's a light in his heart, losing you will turn it off. You won't even have the right to blame him, he is what he is, if you can't accept his nature it's not his fault.»

«Whoever he is, I'm ready to accept him. That's the meaning of love, accepting everything of someone.»

«Ok. Let's pretend he's a vampire. What would you do if you discover it?»

I laugh, looking around. «He's not, vampires don't exist, but if he would be one of them I would run away.»

«You wouldn't go far.» He walks away with a confident, relaxed walking, but he stops after a couple of steps, turning to me again. «You know what? Fuck you.» His words touch me like a shock in my whole body that tenses. «I'm tired of faking to be human, I'm not and I'm proud of what I really am. I consider both you and Mikael my friends and I did everything to help you build something together, I can't help more, but you deserve to know the truth Katrina, that's for sure.» His hands places at each side of my head and I immediately try to free myself, but in vain. «What the hell are you doing?»

«I want to show you what happened in the nightclub, that I saved you and not all vampires are monsters. Then if your fear will be too strong I'll convince you it was all a bad dream, or that you're crazy, or drunk. I can do whatever I want with your mind, you're just a human after all.»

«No, Joseph...» He keeps my skull still and I can't help but meet his cold gaze. Just a few seconds later I'm trapped in my head. I see Diana dancing in the nightclub, then Jordan appearing in front of me and taking me in the bathroom as I scream for help. I even feel dizziness and pain in my head when I see myself falling on the ground when Jordan throws me down. This makes me comes back to reality long enough to say the only word that can save me.

«Mikael!» I keep screaming and yelling his name until Joseph forces me back in my dream. Joseph is fighting Jordan, then he tells me something that I don't hear clearly and then he takes an iron stick. He takes it back and then...

«What's happening?» I hear Mikael's voice and I see him as Joseph moves his giant shoulders away to look at him.

I run to him, crying and panting. As I collide with his body, I struggle to cross my hands behind him to hug his whole body as he puts a hand on my head, my face hiding on his shoulder. Failing to cross my hands, I put them on his strong biceps and accidentally squeeze them, feeling instantly better.

«He didn't hurt me.» I tell him. I don't want him to fight with Joseph, not now.

«I know. If he would have hurt you he would be dead already.»  _ How lovely. _ «Let's go home.»

He holds me up in his arms and I force myself to not turn to watch Joseph's face. I don't even want to understand what the hell he just did to me.

I hear his voice far behind me and Mikael. «The paradise he built for you in his hell won't last for long.» I can't decide if he's warning or threatening me, Mikael's calmness weirds me out. _Why doesn't he try to kill him as he always does with everyone that hurts me?_ _It sounds right, why can't I see it as a positive thing right now? I don't like violence. I don't. But..._

«You can beat him if you want.» I whisper.

«No. He's right. I'm afraid we won't last for long, you made a huge mistake choosing me the night of the party.»

The romantic version of me wants to protest, but some images of Mikael's victims pop up in my mind with his  _ tricks _ . He could be right, our story may end soon, but I can't go back, he destroyed my past. There's no Katrina without Mikael, there's no story without us.


	25. Chapter 24

Some people want to fall asleep as soon as possible because they need to rise early, I can't wait to hide under the covers to wake up in the middle of the night and see my favorite monster.

I look at the cold, elegant nightwear Diana chose for me tonight. I don't wanna have another mommy in Mikael's world, I'll choose the pajamas and the dresses for the important events by myself, especially because Diana always choose elegance over comfort.

I take a grey soft t-shirt with a bunny ears hood and the warmest pants I can find in all the clothes I bought these last days. When I watch myself in the mirror, I feel a deep sadness cooling my body. Nostalgia is a new feeling for me. I miss the little pink girl I was faking to be for my parents, it's been me for a long time, almost all my life.

I fall on my bed and I close my eyes, letting some tears fall on the pillow.

I slowly open my eyes and they look immediately at the corner where I usually see Mikael during the night. Like every night he's there, observing me.

«Watching you sleep makes me feel peaceful and trusted.» He whispers.

«Loved?» I suggest.

He smiles and comes to me, sitting on the bad. «You're cute when you play with your lips.»

I tilt my head in confusion.

«You're doing it right now, you always do it when you're pouring into something, or someone. You put your knuckle under your upper lip, on a side, and you push it up. It's cute, and sexy.»

I give him a little laugh, noticing I'm really doing it. Then I look intensely at him.

«And that thing you do with your eyes, when your head moves down and they slowly blink...»

«Tell me that you love me.» I need to hear this, but at the same time I know he won't give me what I want so easily.

He just smiles and gives me a small kiss. It's enough to make me sleep in peace tonight. I don't wanna thing at the end of our story, I want to live every moment of it.

I resist the urge to caress his face or sliding my hand in his soft curls. «Whatever we have doesn't seem wrong to me.»

«Nothing is completely wrong or right, the challenge of our lives is to understand what's better for us.» His Italian accent makes his words sound even more poetic than they already are. My body freezes for a second. «The meaning of your name, Katrina, is pure. I think it's time to tell you I'm not the only one with a secret. You are the second pure one of all time.»

«The second pure one?» I repeat, dreamy.

He shushes me and kisses me again with hunger. As he bites my bottom lip, I crave for his blood, but before I can even thing about biting him I feel a sharp bitter liquid in my mouth. I let Mikael keep going and I feel my body becoming numb fast, until I can't move anymore. Everything happens in a few seconds. My heart pounds in my chest and I slow down my breath, looking at Mikael wide-eyed as he lays on my bed, hugging me. My body is totally awake as my brain, but it's paralyzed.

I have no choice but close my eyes and think about Mikael until I fall asleep.

I rub my eyes. As soon as my brain wakes up, I raise on the bed and I search for him. When I see he's not here, I let myself fall on the bed with a theatrical sigh of frustration.

I could ask myself what's wrong with this, but it will be easier to say what's right in the mess my life is.


	26. Chapter 25

I observe the leafs being dominated by the wind sitting on the wet grass, leaning on the old giant trunk behind me. I'm wearing just a pink blouse, blue leggings, pink sneakers and a blue-grey hoodie. They don't protect me from the rain at all, but I don't care, I always loved the rain, feeling the cold drips caressing my skin like tears, especially when I'm sad like the dark sky and frustrated as the strong wind now. I would like to be alone to think, if I could I would have written at least a word on my poems' notebook in these three hours I spent in the park, but Mikael is constantly concerned about me and I always feel some strangers' eyes on me surveilling.

I go back home, ignoring Diana's glare when I enter all wet and dirty. Joseph ignores me as he always does from the day we fought and I climb the stairs to go to my room and wear something clean to sleep, but before I can enter the corridor I hear the key opening the lock.

I run down the stairs and I hug Mikael.

«Missed me?» He asks, kissing my head.

«You have no idea! You look pale, have you ate today? I can cook you something, I have a lot of free time, I learned some new delicious recipes I need to make you try! Come, I have many things to tell you!» I pull him from the elegant sleeve of his tailcoat, but he doesn't move of an inch and I catch that he won't spend the night with me. All my enthusiasm fades away with my smile. «You promised me...»

«I know, I promised you we would have spent more time together and I'm a man of my word, trust me. I'll try to come back soon, tonight the hunting trip will be short. We will talk all night to the morning.»

«I hope so.» I cross my arms, turning my back to him and walking fast to my bedroom. I don't even want to count how many times he told me that same phrase. I know he will take a vacation, but I don't want to spend some entire days with him and then see him disappear again, I need stability. He makes me feel like I'm engaged with a soldier.

«Hey, where's my goodbye kiss?» He dares to ask.

«Have a good time, Mikael.» I answer, not even trying to hide my disappointment anymore. The last days he never had a meal with me, after his little vacation with me he started working all day and I see him only in the morning or when he needs to take something at home. I feel like I'm back in Flint: Joseph acts like my hateful sister and Diana take care of me like my mother always did, she's just colder. The only difference between Mikael's family and my family is that here they don't even fake to love me, everyone ignores me except Mikael that is barely part of my days. What I hate the most is that I feel Mikael's love is still superficial, cold, like he's just using me for his pleasure. Will I ever know his warm side? Does he even have one? I hope he does, I can't stand the invisible distance between us anymore.

I can't decide who will win the fight in me: the sadness or the anger? I'm starting to think Mikael was right about us. Our relationship will last less than we both thought.

I wait to hear the door closing, then I walk down the stairs to go to the paintings' room to find inspiration for a new poem. A shadow runs at my right and I freeze in the middle of the main atrium, near the entrance of the villa. Diana and Joseph hunt with Mikael every day, nobody's home. My first instinct is to call Mikael's name, but it would be the worst mistake if he's not still around here. Maybe it's one of my secret bodyguards, but they usually watch over me only out of the villa. I hold my breath as I feel someone exhaling on my neck. All my reality now is that and my heart pounding in my chest like it's going to explode.  _ This can't be real, I'm just imagining everything, the story of Joseph about vampires intoxicated my poor brain. _ My thoughts don't calm me down, but they push me to move my eyes to search what's exhaling warm air on a side of my neck and as soon as I do that two fingers move my hair away from that part of my neck.

I don't let myself overthink it and I turn to the danger, taking some steps back from it. There's nothing behind me. I was just dreaming, as I thought. I break the uncomfortable silence of the villa with a sigh of relief and I take a step back, hitting a body. Before I can turn, the person I can identify as a man by his strength and size covers my mouth with a hand and grabs my neck with the other. I try to scream and scratch his muscular arms, but I just obtain his grip around my neck to tightens, his body doesn't move of an inch as I kick in the air. I understand his message and I stop squirming and moaning on his hand, impressed by his strength and out of breath.

He starts walking, pushing me straight ahead to the entrance. I have no choice but to follow him. Memorizing as more details as possible will help Mikael to identify my kidnapper when I'll tell him everything, but while we walk all I can see are little dark streets, I can hear no voices or sounds and I don't think I will be able to recognize the trashbags we cross in every look-alike street. All I can keep in my mind is the elegant sleeve of the jacket I probably tore before, I can see it thanks to his hands on my mouth and my neck.

I feel my heart pounding hard in my chest as we suddenly turn a corner and enter a kind of forest. I feel the probability of coming back home alive decreasing. The darkness doesn't let me see a thing, I can only hear my feet crushing the dry leaves, my fast breath and my heartbeat running from my chest to my throat to my ears becoming harder and faster. My ears inevitably notice every sound around, maybe it's the heartbeat to confuse them at the point of not hearing the footsteps of the man behind me. I wonder if my kidnapper has a night vision while he starts walking fast, almost running, in the dark wood without even hit a tree.

We come out of the darkness and he pulls me behind a tree. When he finally releases my neck from his tight grip, my eyes try to understand what does he wants me to see.

There's a bar, in the middle of the forest, open during the night. I wouldn't believe it's full if I wasn't in Las Vegas. I observe the people drinking beer, dancing and talking with the only barman serving them behind the counter, a guy with noticeable blue eyes and light brown hair, short but messy like his beard. His appearance gives me calm vibes, until the door opening scares me and as I jump the mysterious man behind me crushes his hand on my mouth.

I stay silent, I don't think I would say something neither if I could. Mikael laughs and stumbles out the place, holding hands with a girl. I'm ready to sprint in his direction, but I wait. I want to be sure about what I'm seeing.

Drunk as hell, he pushes the girl against a wood wall of the bar and starts kissing her with passion. I feel the tears growing in my eyes and I instinctively hold thigh the arms of my kidnapper, searching for some sort of comfort as my heart shatters. I thought he needed time to open with me, but the warm smile he dedicates to that woman tells me he already found the courage to be loved by someone else.

I try to push myself back, I've seen enough, but it seems the Greek God statue behind me doesn't have the same opinion 'cause he doesn't let me go. Mikael takes her legs that wrap around his waist as their tongues taste each other. She moans as he tickles her jaw, then her neck with his lips, before kissing it.  _ Disgusting bastard, I'll make you pay for it. _ Now I understand why villains' minds are stuck with their revenge: I have nothing to lose and nothing to dream about, my heart is broken and the only feeling still threatening me can go away only if I destroy what causes it. Mikael, my love.

_ This is Hell. _ I thought love could make us stronger, but the weakest people are the ones who hate and...  _ Hate comes from love. _

He's cold. He's strong. I'm weak. I'm sensitive.

A strangled cry takes me out of my mind and my eyes run to Mikael and his woman. In the dark I notice her terrorized expression, when Mikael moves away from his neck to meet her gaze I see blood dirtying her dress and falling from his mouth like a waterfall. My legs shake so hard I need to cling on my kidnapper's arms as I realize what's happening.

Mikael grabs her neck, his nails thrusting in her bleeding wounds. Her whole body shakes uncontrollably, her cries look desperate but any sound comes out her throat. My contorted fingers instinctively caress my neck.

«You can relax, little wolf: I won't kill you tonight. Maybe.» He growls, his voice deeper and huskier than usual. «I heard your pack attacked my sister, it's not so respectful to try to kill who shows mercy for you. They ruined a wonderful dinner and risked their lives knowing they were weaker, but it doesn't surprise me at all, we all know werewolves aren't respectful nor smart.»

The girl growls at him like an animal, her teeth sharpening and her hazel eyes glowing in the dark, but her braveness ends fast when Mikael hits her head on the wood wall of the bar. She whines in pain, squeezing her eyes. Mikael seems almost amused by the vision.

«Allow me to give you a piece of advice.» Her head hits the wall again, the blood starts dirtying her hair. Mikael gets so close to her face that her tears evaporate on his skin like he's burning, every trace of amusement disappeared from his face. «Don't touch my family.» His growled, articulated words make me shiver.

«What's your message?» She manages to ask, not even trying to move his hand away from her neck. She knows she can't and this worsens my pain; I know exactly how she feels.

« _ You _ are the message, Clarissa.» He takes an abandoned bottle of beer and drinks it, waiting. Meanwhile, Clarissa chokes as Mikael's fingers go deep in her neck's flesh. She stares in his eyes, begging him to let her go with her terrified gaze as he just looks at her with a cold, superior look. I can feel her silent screams right in my pounding heart. She miserably digs her fingernails into his wrists, the pain giving her no chance but try to stop him, until her strengths escape her and her hands fall to her sides. Blood starts spilling out her wide-opened mouth and her eyes roll back. It's infinite torture.

I jump as someone roars sprinting at my side. My eyes try to follow the animal, but it's too fast and when I turn I see Mikael leaving Clarissa to throw a giant wolf away. The woman falls on the ground, lifeless. Thick raindrops mix with Mikael blood as the wolf jumps on him and sinks his teeth in Mikael's arm, the thunders confusing their screams and hits. I see the wolf shaking his head and Mikael groaning. A glimpse of concern appears on his face and for unknown reasons it borns in me too, until he turns his arms to crash the wolf against his body, forcing him to free his arms or risk to break his jaw, proving the pain isn't weakening him at all. The rain is thick, but I know what I'm seeing: Mikael's black eyes are scarier than ever full of hatred, with his fangs and the blood all over his mouth. _He's... a vampire._ Now I can't lie to myself anymore, _I saw him. It's that, Katrina. You loved a monster._ _A monster that didn't want you to know who he was._ _Now you have two choices: escape or die._

The bar's entrance door creaks and the barman comes out with all the clients.

«Hey!» He screams and Mikael frees the wolf that runs to hide among the clients. «What's happening?» He asks, his wide-open eyes studying the scenario.

«Clarissa's pack attacked my sister.» He explains calmly.

Suddenly the sound of breaking bones takes my attention: the wolf contorts on the ground until he becomes human.  _ I think I'm gonna faint. _

The werewolf stands up. «You broke our rules. You attacked us first.»

«I conquested another territory, I can't see the problem.» He shrugs.

«You signed an agreement.»

«My pact.»

«You accepted to respect the rules.»

«My rules. I can change them whenever I want.»

The werewolf opens his mouth, but the angelic-looking barman pushes him back. «Why did you sign the pact if you weren't intentioned to respect it?»

«I thought to kill you all was a waste of time, so I found a way to make you stop bothering me and my species with the impossible peace you believe in.»

«You're using us.» The werewolf growls.

«I am. And you can keep respecting the pact or die. It's your choice.»

The werewolf growls and so does the bar clients as the barman opens his arms to control the chaos behind him.

«You wanna fight me? Punish me for breaking my rules? Nah...» He breathes the last word, laughing. «You can't. I'm stronger, and immortal. I could kill you all with my hands right now.»

«Wanna try?» The werewolf provokes him and the barman pushes him back again.

«It doesn't worth it. Don't let him provoke you. Nobody has to die tonight!» The poor barman yells the last sentence, the desperation in his voice breaks my heart as he puts his hands in his hair.

«You will never destroy me!» Mikael's loud statement silences the crowd. «I'm the King!» He beats his fist on his chest.

«We know you are the boss, you don't have to show it off Mikael.» The barman sounds like he's begging him to leave them in peace, but Mikael's fury doesn't seem to vanish at all.

«I don't think everyone understood it. Raul must buy leashes for his rebel puppies. This is vampires' territory, it's mine. I conquered it five hundred years ago and you're alive because I decided you can live here and serve me. You are alive because I let you live. You must be grateful.» Suddenly Mikael seems to focus on something, on someone. He moves his eyes on the werewolf, then to Clarissa that he's staring at. Her chest still slowly moves up and down.

He makes his evil smirk and from this moment I know the situation can't end well. He takes the woman that struggles to keep her eyes open, keeping her standing with a firm hold around her waist and her shoulders.

«Your daughter would have better been aware of who she dated. You didn't teach her anything about men, didn't you?»

The werewolf growls at him, his eyes glowing and his grinned teeth sharpening, his anger contrasting the panic of the crowd behind.

The barman interjects. «Mikael, please...»

«You are my favorite wolf, Sam. I wanna tell you a little secret.» He pushes a hand on Clarissa's chest. «The best way to kill someone is pushing your palm on her chest.» His hand goes deeper into her chest. «You may feel some bones breaking under your hand while her heartbeat slows down... until it stops.» Clarissa's head hung down.

Mikael smiles, leaving the corpse falling on the ground, and the riot starts.

I can't watch the massacre, nor Mikael die. I take my phone from my pocket and I manage to write the password with my shaky fingers and access to the archive of the news about Mikael Blake. I swipe up title after title, screams and roars distracting me from reading them. _Come on, I bookmarked the article, it must be here._ I finally find it and I need to click the screen three times before it opens and shows me Mikael's painting. As the first part of the article says, _the new Blake's work is dedicated to his family that he loves and respects_. He told me they always hated him and I took for granted he hates them too. Maybe I was wrong, or maybe his feelings are changed over time. This article must be old... but how much old?

A weird silence snaps me back to reality. I turn and I see Mikael standing in a proud pose like a warrior, his jacket and his t-shirt are gone but the jeans are still covering his legs, tore but still looking like pants. A multitude of dead wolves and people lays at his feet and some survivors run away.

I struggle to hold the grip on my phone as I observe the scene.  _ He's still alive. He didn't lie, he's the strongest. _ Mikael's observes the wounded escaping from him. They are not a lot, I need to think fast and move fast.

Scrolling the page of the article, I finally find the date of the first release: October 1630.

«Oh my God, he's more than a thousand years old. Maybe a hundred.» I whisper. I notice that nobody puts a hand on my mouth and I turn: my kidnapper is gone. I could call the police, but spend the rest of my life in a psychiatric hospital isn't the best alternative to a life with Mikael.

I look at the horror scenario one more time and I see Mikael walking to Sam, still in the same spot where he was before the battle started. They start talking, I can't hear what they say but I see Mikael's lips moving and Sam's emotionless eyes watering.

The article is clear about the ring: "...he created the ring with his blood. - This is an eternal union promise.- He says. - The woman I'll give this ring to, can dominate my world as I do. This jewelry will give her everything she ever wanted and give her to me. Her heart and her mind will be mines, under my control... -". I look at it: I know the power of this infernal object is strong, but I'm not sure about what it could do to me precisely. I take it in my hand, observe the red heart on the cross and throw it on the grass. Maybe that ring can make him sense I'm here. I don't want his blood on my finger anyway.

I run in the wood without looking back. I'm safe, I just need to run home. I don't know where I am nor where is my home if I still have one, but he didn't see me, I'm safe and as long as I run I'll keep being alive.

There must be a way to escape this nightmare, but I can't find it. I thought that Mikael made me independent from my parents, and he did, making me dependent on him. I don't have the money and the necessary information to start a new life by myself, all I have is him, a monster that probably wants to kill me from the moment he saw me in his home. I still struggle to believe he's a vampire, but I know what I saw.

I raise my hand for the fifth time and this time I open the door. I enter with the intention of running to my bedroom, but when I accidentally glance to the sofa in the atrium I can't keep my eyes away from Joseph. He raises his eyes from the book he's reading and observes me, the anger in his eyes turns in confusion. My face is probably showing all my feelings. I want to run away, but I can't, my feet are glued to the floor.

«Are you ok?» His voice echoes in my head and I need to close my eyes for a few seconds. When I open them, he's standing in front of me. «Katrina.»

I take a step back and he grabs my arms. «It's ok.» I manage to whisper. My words sound fake even to myself.

«Tell me what's wrong.» He orders. I try to free my arms, but he holds his grip on them and searches for my eyes as I look down. «Katrina, tell me why you are scared.»

«Leave me alone.» I cry. His firm grip on my arms scares me. I wanna get far away from him, but his strength forces me to stay here and my panic attack worsens. Knowing that he can hurt me and he may want it hurts me more than whatever he could do to me. «Please.» I beg him and he answers shaking me and tightening his grip.

«What happened? Tell me, I can help you.»

«No. You can't. You are just like him.» Saying it makes me realize it. Joseph is a monster, he's bad.  _ My friend Joseph, the funny boy that helped me and made me laugh harder than anyone I've ever known, doesn't exist. _ Telling him the truth was an action guided by the hope he could prove me I'm wrong and they aren't monsters, but the cold glare he gives me makes my heart pound in my chest, killing me inside.

«What do you know?» He asks, clenching his jaw, his fingers tightening the grip on my arms. I'm petrified, I can't even move my eyes from the danger in front of me,  _ I just can't _ . «What do you know?!» He screams in my face. My eyes widen and I feel the tears rolling down my cheeks. «I told you...»

«What?» I recognize his Italian accent. I force myself to turn and I see his cold gaze, the same he had while he was strangling Clarissa. He's wearing a clean suit, there's no trace of blood on him, but his flushed skin makes clear he drank a lot of it.

Joseph leaves me, glaring at Mikael. «Your hunting session lasted too much today.»

«I had a fight in a bar, nothing special. What's the matter?»

«I don't know, ask your girlfriend.»

They both look at me, their gazes cold and angry.

I shake my head to wake me up from the trance and I smile. «No problem. I thought we would have spent more time together tonight, but now it's late, I'm tired. I'm sorry.»

«Don't be, love.» I shiver as he calls me love and he clearly notices it.  _ How can he be so... normal, after making a massacre? I wonder how many times he killed someone and then came back to me, kissing me like nothing special happened _ . Getting closer, he caresses my neck with a noticeably warm hand that just came back from a cold night under the rain. The same hand that a moment ago he was chocking a girl and killing people and monsters with. The sensation that the thought of what he did with the hand he's touching me with gives me makes my mind blows up. If I don't get away from here, I think I'll vomit.

«I need to sleep.» I say.

«Hey, don't think you can hide your feelings to me. Something's wrong. We'll talk about your concerns tomorrow, ok? Now I need to have a discussion with Joseph.» His voice becomes a growl when he talks about Joseph. They stare at each other, both looking suspicious and angry.

I nod and walk away, fear attacking me when I turn my back to the danger. I'm glad he didn't kiss me, that would have been the final key to make me faint. I struggle to climb the stairs and reach my room, my legs are like jelly right now.

I don't even wear my pajama, hiding under the covers I hug my legs and I close my eyes. Gabi will help me, tomorrow I'll buy a fly to Flint and when I'll be there I'll close myself in the house. If Mikael will come to bother me, I'll call the police and make him stay away or in prison for harassing me and violating my privacy, so I'll have a normal life again. It's simple, I can do it. Meanwhile, I have to fake that everything is ok and I love him. I can't even think about it... I don't love him, I just want to forget him before he can get stuck in my mind as a bad memory and torment me forever.

My heart jumps as something shatters downstairs. Mikael and Joseph are screaming at each other, but I can't hear what they are saying. When Diana's voice silences everyone, I still can't close my eyes.

You can wake up to escape a nightmare, but sleep won't save you from reality.


	27. Chapter 26

My eyes snap open and I jump up on my bed. That wasn't a nightmare, I'm still in my sophisticated bedroom in Mikael's mansion. I almost start crying, what stops me is the last hope of escaping from here and my mind running to think at something useful I can do this morning. Walk out of this prison is the first step.

I take off the dirty clothes I kept on yesterday and I wear a large white layered top, shorts and brown heels with laces that wrap around my legs. I take the money I find every morning on my desk and I put them in my pocket, then I climb the stairs, trying to not make any sound. If Mikael isn't gone to work yet, I don't want to risk meeting him, not before I'll have something to protect myself from vampires.

I slowly walk on tiptoes to the entrance.

«Skipping breakfast is bad for you.» His words freeze me. It takes me some seconds to recognize Joseph's voice, I'm used to sensing amusement and warmness in it, now it's just cold and serious.

I take a deep breath before turning and walking to the full table.

I take a small bite of a chocolate pancake decored with cherries, one of my favorite recipes for breakfast, and I hardly swallow it, feeling it like a heavy ball in my stomach. «Have you seen Mikael this morning?» I try to sound as normal as I can, searching for Joseph with my eyes. I find him standing in a dark corner of the room, his arms crossed and his gaze cold and distant. There's a bit of sadness in it.

«He could hear you whispering from the opposite side of the villa, ask him where he is.» He spits, a mixture of disappointment and nuisance in his tone. He walks away and I hunch my shoulders. I need to get out of here, I don't wanna be scolded by Diana for not eating and not going away before the arrival of the few housekeepers Mikael let come in his home. Looking around I feel more uncomfortable and my stomach closes. I abandon the pancake on the plate and run out of the mansion, I don't want Mikael to come out from nowhere as usual, see him would be a nightmare.

I never really knew Mikael. He doesn't have a secret, he's the secret himself. The man I fell for never existed and this breaks my heart more than any lie my family ever told me to keep me in line.

As I walk in the calm streets, the quiet chatting of the morning people that usually relaxes me has no effects on my pounding heart and my trembling hands.

The rainbow unnerves me even more than the entire messy situation: it symbolizes the peace after the storm, but there's no way the battle of yesterday could have brought peace, that was clearly the battle of an old war that never ended, and there's no way I can forget what happened, or what's happening, and enjoy this day in Las Vegas.  _ Fuck this rainbow, this is the worst day of my life. _

_People are dying, but the world stays alive._ _It's an impossible truth._

The navigator tells me I've arrived and as I turn I see a little shop hanging sign with the name of the shop: Selene's crystals.

I open the door, the ring bells on it welcomes me. Looking around as various aromas intoxicate me, I barely can hide my shock. «Wow.» I whisper, then search with my eyes the owner of the little place to see if she heard me. There's no one, or maybe I'm too fascinated by the surroundings to notice a normal person in this magical ambience.

It's full of unique stones, jewelry and objects I can't give a name to. A movement catches my eye. I walk on my tiptoes to not break the silence to the bracelet that called me. It has a big red stone and there's a light moving in it, whispering my name. It sounds absurd, but I believe it: I just discovered my boyfriend is a vampire, this thing can't shock me more. I reach out and I jump when someone takes my wrist. I look at the black, big woman that took me out of a sort of trance I involuntarily entered in. Her look is puzzled, but I can clearly see she's not happy despite her gaudy dress and turban.

«It's an ancient maleficient spirit, I wouldn't touch it.» She releases my wrist and I massage it. «How can I help you?» She asks walking to the cash register, her voice deep and cold.

I follow her, pinning a lock of my hair behind my ear and wrapping it around my fingers to play immediately after. «You must me Selene.»

«No, I'm not.»

«Oh, I thought.» I casually point at the outside.

«I know, my shop has that name, but Selene isn't my name.»

«So, who's Selene?» Her cold gaze makes me regret not being discreet. I could have asked my name, but my sixth sense always controls me before my heart and my mind.

«It's a long story. Which is your coven? You must be a maiden.»

«Oh, no, I'm not a witch.» Every look she gives me makes me want to run away from here, but I can't do it, not before buying my weapon. «Do you have a bottle of holy water?»

She stares at me for a while, then she takes something under the desk and put it on it. «It's one hundred fifty dollars, or a newborn of any species.»

«One hundred fifty what?» That bottle is smaller than my wrists. «I don't wanna sound disrespectful, but I think it's a little too much.» I give her a nervous laugh. I can't even ask Mikael the money, he wants to know what I buy when I ask an extra tip and it would be hard to explain why I want to buy holy water.

«That's the price. This isn't like the holy water you find in churches, this is the enchanted result of hours of spells and rituals from many witches of different cultures and beliefs.» She takes a necklace and starts whispering something, touching every pearl of it.  _ I don't wanna be cursed. _

«Wait! I'm sure we can find an agreement. I'm in big troubles, I need urgent help. Please, sell me that bottle, I'll do whatever you want to pay it.»

She rolls her eyes and I finally see some humanity in her. «What do you need it for?»

«I know it's hard to believe...»

The woman leans on the counter. «Beauty, you're in an esoteric shop.»

«Right... I need to kill a vampire.»

She immediately raises up, taking a step back and giving me a side eye. «You, a young little human, want to kill a vampire in vampires' territory?»

«Yea. Not a random vampire, the king: Mikael Blake.»

She takes another step back and I start worrying about the weapons on the wall behind her. «How do you know him?»

I sigh. «It's a long story.»

She smirks. «Fine. I'll help you. You'll pay me when you'll be free from your problems.» She gives me the holy water bottle. I take it in a strong grip, an invisible energy keeps my hand glued to the cold object. «I'm a witch, I never tried to kill a vampire. All I know is that, if this works, you'll kill a beast a make a favor to the world. If it doesn't, you'll die.»

I roll my eyes. «Wish me good luck!»

The woman just gives me her usual cold gaze and I walk fast out of her personal hell, feeling extremely uncomfortable and annoyed.

I look back at the sign. I wonder who's Selene. Maybe she's an ancient of hers, due to my knowledge witches dedicates their life to their family.

I hit a body and I clumsily fall on my butt, my legs opened and my arms flinging around to keep the balance - 'cause I obviously would be able to fall from a sit position -. «I'm sorry, I was looking back at...»

The blue dress full of bows and decorative cloths isn't exactly what such a beautiful slim body would wear in this century. Then I see her long, little fingers wrapped around her hip on her hourglass-shaped body. I slowly raise my head, afraid to be blinded by the sun, but her elegant umbrella protects us. I can't help but envy her delicate facial features perfectly matched to her class: her little nose, her cat eyes, her big lips, even her wavy brown hair...

Diana looks at me, her chin held up. «Mikael is waiting for you at home.» I can guess from her tensed perfect jawline that she would like to scold me, but something -  _ or someone  _ \- is stopping her.

«Ok, I'll go home.»  _ How can she be so strong to make me fall on the ground just hitting me during a slow burn walk? _

«I'll come with you.»

«Oh, no, you don't have to. Mikael makes me follow by his bodyguards.» I don't want to talk with her nor walk in silence with her by my side.  _ I made her fall one time, but it happened because she lost the balance. _

«I could kill your bodyguards with just my umbrella in a few seconds. They are just a bunch of pussies. Now follow me, dear.»

_ She can't be so strong, unless... she's a vampire. _

As Diana turns, I put a hand on her arms to catch her attention, but she immediately moves away and looks me like I did something horrifying. «Uhm, I a-apologize, miss Diana. I can't c-come with you.» I stammer and the indignation on her face becomes confusion, then concern.

«Is everything ok, honey?» She cups my face, but I immediately step back, slipping away from her sinner's hands.

«Sure. I just need to, uhm, eat something.»

«I can cook you gnocchi al ragù, you love them.»

«...and fresh air. I need to eat and stay alone, relax, you know.»  _ How can this horrible woman fake so well to be a responsible human mom and maid? _ Diana is just a monster, like Mikael and Joseph, the only people I've ever really loved. And hated.

She holds her hands on her belly, her right hand wrapping around her fingers in an elegant but surely not comfortable position. She opens her mouth and my heart skips a beat.

«I'll be at home in an hour. See you!» I shake my hand with exaggerating enthusiasm and I walk away, resisting to turn and see if she's chasing me.

I think I entered at least twenty streets I didn't know, but I always found the way home from all of them and never followed it. I can't avoid Mikael forever. The money he gave me can't buy a ticket to Flint and I can't tell him I need more to take a vacation by myself somewhere: he's evil, not stupid. I can't escape either with my mind. I need Gabi's advice, but he has my cellphone.

Some minutes ago I decided to finally go back to the villa. I have no choice, I can't sleep on a bench in Las Vegas. As I grab the door's handle, a million thoughts blow up my mind: I hope Mikael is already out hunting with Joseph and Diana.  _ Hunting humans. _ What if the kidnapper will take me again? Maybe this time he will kill me. He showed me the truth for a reason, he wanted me to do something and I'm pretty sure it wasn't to avoid Mikael. I failed, he must want me dead.  _ Oh, fuck it. _

I enter the villa and all I hear is silence. A scary silence that doesn't give me any information, this place is always silent because its residents are. I can't know if Mikael's home, so I climb the stairs on my tiptoes, crouched down. I need to sneak in my room and think at a plan B. I almost fall when a loud scream breaks the peace of the atrium.

I run down the stairs and follow the voice echo, stopping in front of the basement door. _Nora... She may be here. He never gifted her a vacation; if she's still alive, she's somewhere suffering._ _Oh Nora, if only you gave me the chance to be a good little sister for you, your love would have kept me at home and we would be safe and happy, together._ I never entered the basement, but I remember Mikael nominated the key to open its door talking about my personal set of keys. I move the old, squeaky handle of the iron door that doesn't open either when I push it with my shoulder. Not that I would be strong enough to open a stuck door hitting it with my little body, I would break my bones if I'd try. While I start searching the right key in my set, the screams stop. If they were screaming, and suddenly stopped... the attacker is down there. _And he can be Mikael._

«Were you searching for this?» I jump and turn, seeing the basement key hanging from Mikael's hand. He suddenly takes it in his fist and my eyes shut close for the surprise.

When I open them again, I notice all the blood on his mouth, his messy curls and the calm fury in the beast's eyes. «We need to talk, darling.»

I gulp, following him as he calmly walks to the living room, drinking a bottle of Jack Daniel's. I sit on Joseph's armchair and Mikael sits on the armchair in front of me, nothing's between us, nothing divides us. He pours some tequila in a glass that he hands me while the bottle reaches his lips. I take a sip of the liquor. It tastes like fear.

«How are you?» His deep, yet loud voice makes me jump. He looks me straight in the eyes and I hold my eyes in his, my stomach tying up in knots.

«I'm good.»

«Mh.» It's everything he says before finishing his Jack Daniel's. He starts moving his finger around the hole of the bottle in a circular loop. «I saw you really concerned, almost scared, yesterday. What happened?»

«Nothing.» I lie in a high pitched voice. «I wasn't concerned at all. Your friend Joseph scared me again, it's just it.» His head hangs down, but his stare stays into my eyes. The hatred in his eyes is dirty with a glistening sadness, two horns would make the complete devil's pack.

He doesn't believe not even one of my bullshits, it's clear on his face. «What have you saw, Katrina?»

I shiver when he pronounce my name. «Nothing. Joseph scared me, that's all.»

He slams the bottle on a little table near his chair and I jump. «Ok. I believe you.» He growls.  _ I don't think he does. _ «Where were you when I was out?»

I move on my chair, suddenly extremely uncomfortable. «I stayed at home all the time.»

«Where's your ring?»

I look at my empty finger in shock. I know I throw it away, I just forgot that he doesn't. «I probably lost it somewhere in the place.»

He puts his hand in the inside pocket of his jacket and all I can think is " _he found it._ _no, please no, it can't be real, no_ ", before he takes the ring out and rolls it between his fingers. I stare at it, speechless. _I'm fucked._

My heart pounds in my throat and it's scary that he doesn't even smirk at my pain.  _ He doesn't like it when you are afraid of him, _ the little me remembers me.  _ How am I supposed to not be afraid or hate a monster? I'm just a human, a really sensitive one. _ He wants me to accept his madness, but he can't bear my fear. He wants me to love him without loving me. Why did I try to accept this? How did I fell in love with a man that doesn't exist? Why didn't I see the monster? Or...  _ why did I choose to ignore it? _ I think I'll never have answers from my feelings, they are a void beyond my flesh.

«Di you have something to say about it?» His voice forces me to look in his eyes and I snap back right into Mikael's hell, leaving mine.

I put my hand in my jeans pocket and I clumsily move it until the bottle comes out. I fastly open it and throw the only water to Mikael's face, that closes his eyes without even try to move away. The plan I made a few seconds ago was clear: throw the water at him and run while his face burns. But my legs are jelly and the holy water just washed his face without catching fire.

He releases a long, loud, deep growl before opening his eyes, now vantablack with a red smoke flying in them, and curls his upper lip showing his sharp, big fangs.  _ Having them in my neck... the pain... it would be like scissors thrusting in my flesh... _

The thought gives me the strength to stand up and run as fast as I can. I throw myself at the entrance door and luckily it opens. I hoped I could hit my head and faint and wake up from this nightmare, but I just roll down the stairs and jump up to start running again.

I hear Mikael's broken, yet full of anger voice from afar. «I thought you could love me.»


	28. Chapter 27

Running in the opposite direction of Mikael took me into a dark wood. Hitting trees and stumbling over twigs, I keep running, hoping to arrive in the awake, alive Las Vegas and beg for help.

«You never wanted to accept my nature.» His breath on my ear surprises me, I scream and trips over my feet. «The truth was evident, it fascinated you, but the evil side of me made you deny my nature.» I crawl back as fast as I can, can't move my eyes from the red smoke in his. «You lied to yourself when you said you wanted to accept me. I was right, you don't want my money, and you were wrong, the only thing about me that you love is my body and my charm. Not my happiness, not me.»

«Stay away, monster!» I shriek, getting up and running from the opposite direction of the voice. I finally reach a space of the wood with fewer trees and more light.  _ The streets must be somewhere close. _ My head spins all around until Mikael appears in front of me and I jump back. This time I'm prepared and I stay stood, bending my knees to be ready to defend myself or run away.

«It shouldn't have ended like this, but how else could have been gone?»  _ How did he come here so fast? I ran for minutes in the dark. Night vision? SuperSpeed? Enhanced senses? All of these? Oh God, only hope can get me out of this mess. _ He takes another slow, relaxed step towards me and I try my best to stay still. I can't show him my fear, but to believe I'm strong doesn't make me strong. I can only try to fool both of us. «You fear me, stop denying and hiding the evidence of the truth.»

«I don't feel anything. Every day I spent with you made me a little more dark inside, you almost broke me. You almost destroyed my sensitiveness, what bent you to me, but you didn't when I was weakened by love and you won't now that I know what you are. A heartless monster I risked to be poisoned by because of its illusions. I will never let you destroy my light.»

He chuckles, looking at the sky, then meeting my gaze, giving me goosebumps in an instant. I hate myself for being so sensitive now, for being so under his control. «You are mine.» He growls.

My fear comes out in my panting, then on my face and then in my position. I start running again, but I'm forced to sink my heels in the ground finding myself at an inch from Mikael's face.  _ Vampires are superfast. Caught that. _

«I really like your body, I will try to enjoy its destruction torturing you slowly.» The coldness in his voice has a different taste when I'm not his queen, but his prey.

I sprint away and I see what I hope isn't a hallucination: a street full of people.

«Help!» I keep screaming this word, my heart hurts at every beat, but I keep running. The city is getting closer.

Until Mikael appears in front of me again, covering the light with his darkness. He grabs my chin and I moan and sob, sinking the lethal cocktail of fear and pain as he crashes my jaw with his fingers. «I'm a monster. I can't be loved. I can't love. Admit it.»

I nod in response and I see a sad satisfaction in his vantablack, yet expressive eyes. He releases my chin and I'm ready to run away and scream again, but before I can even think at the motion he grabs my neck and lifts me.

I can't help but open my mouth widely. I feel my whole body fighting for air, becoming more sensitive every second as he looks at me from head to toe two times for what it seems an hour to me.

«I like it when you smile.» He frees me and I fall on the ground. Every muscle of my body hurts, I'm shaking like a leaf and as I inhale I squeeze my eyes for the pain, my lungs are on fire. _I can't give up now. I can't let him win._ _The good always wins... or at least survive._ I open my eyes, my vision is blurred, but I start crawling to the city with my remaining forces, hearing Mikael walk calmly at my side.

«Pathetic.» He whispers. I ignore him, I'm ten steps away from safety. I see a lot of shoes moving fast.

«Help.» My voice comes out raspier and lower than ever. A horn tortures my ears and my poor head, I close my eyes and when I open them the shoes moves like an old cartoon, a lot of images bent together to create motion. The sidewalk is a few inches from me, like the people.

I smile, moving my arm forward, feeling the topsoil and twigs scratching it when Mikael grabs my hood and throws me back. I fall on the cold ground. I finally let myself cry, hopeless.  _ No, no, no... _ I raise my head and I see his shoes, his jeans and his half untucked blouse covered by the torn black frac. Then our eyes meet.

«I like your pain more.» He says. Then he bends down, pulls me up by the hair without even struggling despite my rebellion, and hits my head on a tree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you describe Mikael and Katrina in just two sentences? Try in the comments! The best descriptions will appear in the notes of the next chapters!


	29. Chapter 28

The smell of blood and jasmine intoxicates me, then a terrible twinge of pain wakes me up and I moan, bringing my hand on my aching head. I feel it pounding while a cry becomes slowly clearer as my sense of hearing comes back with my sight.

In three attempts I manage to bear the headache and stand up to look around. I'm in a kind of royal bedroom with ancient interior design, a black bob of a girl in a corner on the ground catches my attention. The cry is from her, she's hugging her legs, hiding her face in her knees. Her right hand misses a finger.  _ Nora _ .

«What did that bastard do to you? He will pay for this.» I run to her and I find myself laying on the ground. She pushed me as soon as I crouched down to see her finger.

«Stay away from me! It's your fault! My finger, this trap, everything it's just because of you!» I never saw her so _destroyed_. The sadness overcomes my anger. She's right, I thought I was the good one, but I'm the one the caused more chaos in less time. _I wanted to have fun and find love, look what I did_ _instead_. _No, stop thinking about a past you can't change, Katrina. There's no time to waste crying now._

«I'm sorry. I'll save both of us. We're not alone, someone's surely coming to help us, someone will notice our absence. The good stays in the shadows until the bad doesn't show itself.»

«It's not the right moment for your stupid poems. Who will come to save us? Our parents that think I'm on holiday and you left home to live in Las Vegas? Who, Kat?» She sobs, her words full of fear and anger.

«We will find a way to escape or call the police.»

«There are no phones here and guess what? We are stuck in a castle, in the middle of a wood, in Italy.»

I'm speechless. A thunder makes my head turn fast towards the giant, sophisticated windows and I see part of the castle and the foggy wood in the rain. I stand up in front of the glass, totally shocked.

«Good morning.» His Italian accent makes my heart skip a beat. I would rather jump out the window than face him, but I obviously have no choice. I must talk to him. «How do you feel?»

_ How do I fucking feel? It's the worst day of my destroyed life and I'm trapped in the castle as the slave of a monster. _ Mikael doesn't wait for my answer, he hears my thoughts, he knows everything. The most dangerous enemy is the one that knows and controls your insides, and Mikael can read me like a book and control me like he's the author of the story.

«Please, follow me.» I see him extend his hand to me behind me, in my mind.  _ I'm not gonna turn. I don't wanna see him, realize he's really here. I can't... _

«Will you make me hurt your sister to convince you?»

I immediately obey, turning. I look down, my hands crossed on the elegant tunic I'm wearing. I don't know which one is making me shake like a leaf, if not both: the anger or the fear that I can't deny nor kill.

He walks out of the room and I follow him, keeping some distance between us.

«Are you scared?» He asks, calmly.

«I expected this.» My voice comes out shaky; hiding my fear is impossible, but showing my anger is necessary.  _ Stay strong, Katrina. Stay strong as much as your fear. _ «What do you want from me?»

«I want  _ you _ . You can be my queen or my slave, I grant you the choice.»

_ Drawn in my blood as his slave or let him drain me as his queen. _ «Thanks for these wonderful choices.»

«You're welcome.» I can't tell if he's ironic or proud.

Walking behind the giant, I look around. The place is dark, lighten just by some candles, decored in a gothic style. When we enter a corridor, I can't resist the beauty of the shadowless fire of the candles and I move my fingertips close to every flame, feeling their heat.

«Your sensitiveness can't be stolen, you prove it every breath you take. There are so many expensive things in this place, and you admire a classical element. Despite I know you better than you do, you always surprise me. You like to play with fire, you're already starting to appreciate your fear. Or you're braver than I thought, but it's just because you don't know the pain I can cause you yet.» I try to ignore his speech. He understands too well, he knows too much, and I can't accept the truth. He's right and it's wrong, and I can't change this.

Suddenly Diana pops up in my head, talking about Mikael's way to love.  _ He wants you to be yourself. You are sensitive and nice, Katrina; he wants you to smile when he destroy your enemies and cry when he hurt you. This is his vision of love, what he wants. And you must accept it. _ «Is this your real way to love me? The monster enjoys my pains and won't hide it anymore, right?»

«Yes, now I'm free to enjoy your pain. No, I don't love you. I never did.» My heart shatters in a second and I stop in the middle of the corridor, struggling to stay up.

«What?» I breathe.

«You're an interesting, attractive new toy for the beast. Nothing more, nothing special.»

My last hope to find his light abandons me, running down on my cheeks in the tears. I didn't even know I still had that hope until it broke my heart. «You love me.»

«Stop deluding yourself into dreaming about our love. It makes you miserable.» He turns to me and I meet his gaze. There's no sadness, anger, neither joy in his eyes. There's nothing, the answer to what am I for him. «Queen or slave?» His tone is calm and clear.

I feel the emotions leaving my eyes. «I'll keep my dignity. You will never own my heart.»

«What do I have to do to make you my queen?» He asks, then starting walking without waiting for an answer.

Joseph was right. The paradise didn't last long and now I'm walking straight to Mikael's hell, broken in tears because of him. Still believing that deep inside he loves me, he just doesn't know or admit it. I'm sure of it, because he built that paradise for me while he could have just taken me here. He wants me to love him, that's not what you want from a toy. But we both need to accept that I can't love a real monster. He needs to leave me and he will, because he loves me.

I cautiously proceed into a dark room. Mikael lights some candles and I try to understand what kind of room is this: there are an old iron table, a fireplace and some iron stamps on the edge of some pokers.

Mikael takes a few steps towards me and I don't move of an inch, ignoring his warm breath on my lips and the memory of his addictive taste. We stand in front of the fireplace. His eyes run from mines to my lips while he sucks half of his bottom lip, then comes back in mines. When he notices it didn't have any effect on me - or any effects that made me have stupids reactions -, he takes a step back and raises the blood ring between our faces. «Everybody must know you're mine.»

«I won't show the world I'm you're property, because I'm not.» I would like to take that damn ring and throw it in the fireplace, but arousing his anger won't help me to get out of here.

He rolls the ring between his fingers, then suddenly takes it in his fist. My body tenses, but I don't close my eyes.

«Lie on the table, Katrina.» His orders nauseate me.

«No.» I don't wanna make him angry, but I want him to understand I won't be his doll.

No emotions show on his face, but I notice him clenching his jaw. «I said lie down on the table. Please, Katrina.»

«No.»

I realize he grabbed my tunic only after he raises me and throws me on the iron table. I moan and squeeze my eyes as my aching head hit it. I try to react fast, but while I'm raising up he pushes me down again and his hand stays on my chest and keeps pressing. My body is begging me to obey him, but my heart makes me try to scratch his arm and raise up again, miserably failing against his vampire strength. His arm doesn't even move, he's calm. If a giant furious wolf can't even hurt him, why do I even try? I don't have an answer, but I know that I will keep trying to death. So I keep writhing.

«Stop moving.» His orders fly far away from me and as I keep moving I feel the tears filling my eyes. I know I'm in danger. I know something terrible and terrifying is coming for me. The panic grows in me, his face is indecipherable like his silence.

«Disobedience has consequences.» He pushes me and I slide down the table, my face bounce on the ground. The pain is sharp and comes instantly with the bleeding. My thoughts are too slow, Mikael's feet position itself on my back and pushes so hard to crush me. I hear the sound of my ribs breaking, then the pain overwhelms me. I scream so loud that my ears hurt and when I try to breathe in fast I feel a pain that forces me to hold my breath until I can't anymore. I slowly take short breaths, just the necessary to survive and cry as the unbearable pain keeps tormenting me.

When Mikael grabs my hips and takes me up to put me on the table again, I beg God, the pain, Mikael, everything to let me die and stop the pain. I can't even breathe until he positions me on the cold surface.

Mikael rip off my tunic and grabs an iron stamp: it has the same symbol of the ring.

_ What will you do to me? _

«I'm going to mark you with my symbol, everybody needs to keep their hands far away from my slave.»

«I beg you... let me go...»

«You should have accepted the ring.»  _ And him _ , my conscience adds.

I stare in his cold gaze. «Please...»

He takes down my panties and here I am, naked in front of him. Again. But this time I don't need to resist him, I don't feel the need to kiss him at all.

Mikael puts the iron stamp on the fire and my fear intensifies. Maybe that's the feeling that finds the right memory in my mind.

«Someone guided me in the wood.» The pain stops me from talking, but I see Mikael standing up. I have his attention. «If you let me go, I'll tell you everything I know.»

He brings the stamp so close to my belly that I feel its heat. «No, wait! I'll tell you whatever you want, just don't hurt me!» I scream.

His smirk disgusts me and makes me realize the situation reversed.

«I have been kidnapped. A man took me by force in some dark streets, then in the wood where I saw you. I didn't see his face, he didn't let me turn to him, but I noticed...» I cough and the pain intensifies, causing me to moan and cry uncontrollably. Until I feel the unbearable heat of the hot metal on my pelvis again. «I noticed an elegant sleeve on the hand that was covering my mouth.»

For the first time since I woke up in the castle, I see an emotion on his face.  _ Surprise _ .

«Thank you for telling me.» He raises the hot iron stamp one more time.

«Wait! Please, don't do this. I can't bear more pain. Why are you hurting me? What did I do? What's your problem?» I'm not sure my questions have sense, I just hope they can make him think and stop.

He smirks. «My pleasure is your pain.» His eyes turn black and I start thinking he's going to bite me, then I feel my skin burning like hell.

I scream for a few seconds, then everything turns as black as the darkness in his eyes.

I gasp, raising up. My senses are still awake, maybe because of the gelid water splashed on my face, and I feel no pain. I remember everything: the broken ribs, the hot iron on my pelvis, Mikael... and  _ her _ . The woman that sold me the holy water, that now is whispering Latin words and making a complicated knot with a cord.  _ She always worked for Mikael. _

«Good morning, little princess.» Mikael's voice makes me shiver. «You've been gone for... sixteen seconds. You didn't break any record, just your personal one.» Mikael seems particularly happy. I don't let myself question why, I learned that the truth is always too painful for me. I can't hear him say he's happy because of all the pain he caused to me, and all the pain he will cause to me.

«The witch is curing your injuries. I suggest you to stay here until the end of the ritual, otherwise the pain that almost kills you will be back instantly.» Mikael exit the room and I patiently wait for the witch to end her whispers and knots thing.

In around two infinite hours she finishes her work and starts taking her totems and candles around me.

«You knew the holy water wouldn't have worked, that's why you gifted it to me. I bet Mikael rewarded you well after you spied on me.»

She throws the knot in the fireplace. «The spell worked and is unbreakable, you are bent to him.»

I feel my eyes watering, but this time I hold the tears. «You betrayed me and you keep doing it.»

«I don't want problems, I stay with the strongest.» As soon as she goes out of the room and I'm out of her sight, I start crying. I let myself cry for minutes, which soon becomes an hour. When my emotions get tired, I go out of the room and walk down the corridors of the gothic castle, observing every detail from the blood-red carpets to the elegant chandeliers, the bookshelves and the black thrones in every corner of every room and corridor.  _ So many thrones, no crowns. _ Everything of him has a message:  _ I'm the boss because I'm the strongest. _

Mikael is the strongest, Mikael is the boss. He wants me. It's happening.

Life scares me more than death.


	30. Important

Hey guys,

here's Kayla! The competition I want to participate in is started. I have to delete the book from here...

 **BUT** you can still read it for free here: https://www.wattpad.com/story/208492789-mad (if the link doesn't work, click the one in the book trailer description! ⬇️)

 **AND** you can watch a wonderful trailer made by one of you here: [MAD by Kayla Moon - Book Trailer!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAua9EQye1o)

If you can't read the book on the other platform for any reason and you miss me, you can check out all the other stories I'm still updating here for you.

Have a nice day!

Kayla Moon


End file.
